


What happens in Vegas... doesn't stay in Vegas

by thedeathchamber



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Domestic, Drinking, Fluff, Humor, M/M, OT5 Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 01:28:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5478200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedeathchamber/pseuds/thedeathchamber
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What should have been a fun one-night stand in Vegas turns into something a lot more complicated. Because getting married is easy but getting unmarried... not so much.</p>
<p>Or, Harry and Louis get hitched in Vegas and discover marital bliss. With a few bumps along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What happens in Vegas... doesn't stay in Vegas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whatamidoingwithmylife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatamidoingwithmylife/gifts).



> The prompt: Based on the movie _What Happens In Vegas_ (2008). You can choose who is going to be Jack and who is going to be Joy. One of them just broke up with his fiancee and the other just got fired by his parents and they meet in Vegas and get drunk and get married. Then they get rich and have to stay married for a while so they can split the money. I want this to be fun and with a lot of sass and sexual frustration, please.
> 
> I tried to deliver. I really tried. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> A big thank you to [kikikryslee](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kikikryslee/pseuds/kikikryslee) for her help as a beta! I owe you for all those commas!

 

* * *

 “ _Fuck_ ,” Harry groaned.

“Not gonna to throw up on me, are ye?” Niall asked, shifting beneath Harry, dangerously close to kneeing him in the crotch. “Ye lightweight.”

“’m not,” Harry mumbled against Niall’s shoulder.

Niall patted his back absently, trying to lick a peanut off the rug with his tongue.

In a heap on the floor of their hotel room after drinking for the past few hours, Harry wondered how he had convinced himself that going on a trip to Vegas with just Niall was a good idea.

“Liaaam,” Harry called out, muffled through a mouthful of Niall’s shirt.

Niall plastered a sticky hand across Harry’s face. “’s just yeh and meh, lad.”

Harry licked the palm of Niall’s hand. It tasted like beer and lint and peanut salt.

“Here to have the time of our lives,” Niall went on.

“Not at five dollars for a bag of peanuts, Niall,” Harry said, stuffing a handful into his mouth and chewing dejectedly. “I don’t have a job, remember?”

Niall sighed, moving around until he could cradle Harry’s head against his shoulder. “Yer not drunk enough if yer still worrying ’bout the price of peanuts.”

Harry sighed, nuzzling Niall’s neck. “Is that your usual cologne?” he mumbled.

“Nah,” Niall bent to sniff at his shoulder. “It’s nice, innit?”

He pointed at the chest of drawers in front of the bed. “Thought the bottle was cute.”

Harry stared at the bottle, frowning until Niall smoothed the furrow on his forehead away with two fingers.

Harry turned to him. “Where did that come from?” he asked.

Niall kept patting his forehead. “Complimentary bottle?”

Harry started to shake his head. “It would have been on the pillow-”

His voice trailed off when he noticed Niall’s face going slack.

“What?” Harry said at the same time as a voice behind him said, “Who the fuck are you?”

Harry twisted his neck to get a look at the stranger who had just wandered in from the dark passage that Harry guessed led to the bathroom. With Niall going straight for the minibar, Harry hadn’t had a chance to check out his surroundings.

“You’re in our room.”

“Are we?” Harry scrambled to his feet. He tripped over Niall and landed on the bed, his hand slipping across the smooth coverlet. “We’re really sorry if we are but, um, they gave us the key for this room. It’s, er, how we got in. So, maybe there’s been a mistake?”

The stranger seemed to be about their age: a skinny boy with a face that looked like it could grace the cover of any fashion magazine and his hair up in a styled quiff.

“Why are you naked, bro?” he asked.

Harry looked down at himself. “Ah.”

The first thing he’d done upon entering the room had been to kick off his shoes, shuck his jeans and peel off his stained shirt.

Niall laughed, still on the floor. “He’s uncivilised. Been tryin’ to teach him to keep his clothes on fer years. Nothin’.”

The boy didn’t laugh. His eyes flicked to Niall before turning back to Harry.

Harry hesitantly opened his mouth. “I’ll- I’ll put on my clothes, yeah?” he said, reaching for them, and shooting Niall a glare when he laughed again.

“That’s a first. Good work, mate,” Niall jumped to his feet, stumbled and raised his hand as though expecting the boy to high five him.

Harry became aware of the sudden silence when the noise stopped: a hair dryer had been going on in the bathroom. And, right, the boy had said ‘our room.’ Harry wrestled into his shirt as light footsteps approached the room, a high, raspy voice calling out, “Zayn! We’re not staying in to watch telly. What are you even-”

Harry stared. The new boy stared back at him. Harry couldn’t stop staring: he had to be the prettiest person he’d ever seen.

“Who the fuck are you?” His voice went shrill and he reached for his friend’s arm, pulling him back as though he expected Harry and Niall to lunge at them.

“There’s been some misunder-” Harry began, but distracted, he found his voice too late and Niall cut across him.

“I’m Niall and this is Harry,” He leaped forward with his hand out. Harry couldn’t stop a grin from creeping onto his face when he caught the boy’s eyes. A small bubble of laughter burst from his lips when Niall grabbed Zayn’s hand and gave it an enthusiastic shake. Harry raised his own hand in a small wave.

“Right,” the boy said, not looking away from Harry for a long moment. He seemed to be trying to bite down a smile. “Niall and Harry, let me rephrase that; what the fuck are you doing in our room?”

He didn’t sound angry and his hand had dropped from Zayn’s arm; or maybe Niall had shaken it off when he jostled Zayn.

“How do you know you aren’t in our room?” Harry couldn’t stop grinning. Bouncing on the balls of his feet with enjoyment, he said, “You won’t even introduce yourselves. How do we know you’re not some of those people who steal into hotel rooms, hm?”

The boy stared at Harry as though he couldn’t decide whether to laugh or not. And Harry couldn’t believe how beautiful he was when he eventually laughed.

“I’m Louis and this is Zayn,” Louis said, batting Niall away when he tried to shake his hand. “And the fact that you took something from the minibar is a clear indication that you’re the delinquents around here.”

Harry threw his hands up. “That was all Niall! I tried to stop him, I swear.”

“No excuses,” Louis chuckled. He shook his head and his mouth fell open in mock horror. “And you didn’t even eat it! It’s all over the floor. That’s just mad. You’re not a couple of mental patients escaped from hospital, are you?”

Harry was startled into one of his honking laughs and it set Niall off into a fit of giggles.

“You’re all mental,” Zayn muttered, but the small curl on his lips showed how little the conversation actually annoyed him.

Harry was fascinated by the way Louis’ eyes crinkled when he smiled. He took a deep breath, gathering his courage.

“Were you going out? We could go together,” he suggested, trying to keep his tone casual.

Niall walked around to clap Zayn on the back. “Yeah, let’s.”

Zayn exchanged a look with Louis, who turned to give Harry a once-over that made him blush before he’d even opened his mouth. “Did a unicorn vomit on your shirt?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Niall cackled. “Spilled a Daiquiri Sunrise all over ‘imself. Ye should’a seen it.”

“Thanks, Niall,” Harry tried to pout but his mouth kept pulling up into a smile in response to Louis’. He tugged at the hem of his shirt and shrugged. “That’s actually why we came up to the room, really; so I could change.”

Louis pursed his lips as if in thought, glancing at Zayn, who now had Niall’s arm around his neck.

“Are you wearing my cologne?” Zayn spoke up suddenly, twisting out from under Niall’s arm.

“Eh. Is that yours, then?” Niall laughed, going a little red in the face. Even Harry was unsure if he was actually embarrassed or if it was from all the laughing and the alcohol. Harry’s buzz had fizzled out by now, but Niall had probably drunk more than him.

“Yes,” Zayn shook his head, walking over to the drawer to inspect his cologne bottle- for damage, presumably.

“We need to get this mix-up with the room sorted out,” Louis said finally. “I came to sleep in a king-sized bed on my own and I’m not sharing with anyone.”

Harry could sympathize with that. If he stretched out too much on his single bed at home his feet would hang off the edge.

“Niall snores,” he blurted out in an attempt to distract himself from the sudden thought of how Louis would fit just right laid out in his bed.

“I do not!” Niall protested. “I do kick, though. Unless I’m really drunk. So let’s go drink so we can cuddle!”

Harry saw Zayn’s shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. He grinned. “I’ll just change my shirt.”

He pulled off the shirt again and riffled through his bag, deciding on a yellow button up with hummingbirds. When he turned around he caught Louis looking at him, gaze moving up his torso until their eyes met. Louis blinked at him. Harry bit his lip at the rush of heat rising up his chest.

“Well, go on then,” Louis said, voice breaking and turning away to a corner of the room where he’d left his shoes. Harry fumbled with his buttons at the sight of Louis bending over to slip on a pair of Vans. Louis had the most incredible ass Harry had ever seen.

“God, Harry,” Niall moaned, coming back from the bathroom. Harry hadn’t even realized he’d been gone. “Not that shirt.”

Louis and Zayn, who had been leaning on the chest of drawers playing with his phone, both turned around at that. Zayn raised his eyebrows. Harry was expecting Louis to laugh, but he didn’t. He gave a little cough and waved his arm a bit wildly, gesturing at Harry’s chest. “You do know how buttons work, right?”

Harry laughed. “I like it like this. And I’ll remember this when you ask to borrow one of my shirts again, Niall.”

Niall slapped him on the back. “I’ll just take it from your closet. You’ve got so many, you won’t even notice.”

Louis hooked his arm with Zayn’s. “Let’s go, then. I need alcohol to continue looking at that shirt.”

“Hey!” Harry protested through a grin.

Louis reached out toward Harry, but, to Harry’s disappointment, he pulled his hand back without touching. “At least straighten out your collar, Harold. Try to look decent, hm?”

“Nobody’s ever called me Harold before.” Harry shook his hair out as they walked to the lift. He’d heard a lot of other names before, though. Barry. Larry. Perry. Very Hairy Harry when he’d grown his hair long, but never Harold.

Harry didn’t mind: Louis could call him just about anything with that voice.

“It’s Vegas, baby. Harry’s just not going to cut it,” Louis teased. He leaned back against the rail of the lift with his hip cocked, and looked up at Harry through his eyelashes.

Close up and in the brighter light, Harry could now appreciate how thick and long his eyelashes were and just how blue his eyes were.

“I want a Vegas name, too!” Niall said. Harry couldn’t force himself to look away from Louis’ face to return Niall’s grin. “We should have, like, code names for the night!”

Louis frowned at Niall thoughtfully, tapping his chin with a finger. “Kyle for you.”

Niall snorted with laughter.

“And you’ll be Wayne,” Louis told Zayn, bumping elbows with him. Zayn rolled his eyes but nudged Louis back.

“Wayne.” Niall giggled.

“What about you?” Harry asked Louis, unable to look away from the curve of Louis’ lips.

“I’m Hewie, of course,” Louis said without a second thought.

The lift dinged when they reached the lobby and Harry clapped his hands together in delight at his sudden stroke of inspiration. “Chop suey!” he called out.  
Zayn snorted and Niall bent over with laughter. Harry had eyes only for Louis, though.

“Chop suey, hm?” he said. “Not exactly subtle. But I like it.” They smiled at each other for so long the lift doors started closing on them again and Zayn had to stick his hand out to stop them with a huff.

“Now I need a drink,” Zayn muttered, walking off before them. Niall, still chuckling, followed, but not before pinching Harry’s butt, making him jump.

“Ready then, H?”

Harry didn’t respond.

He was worried that if he opened his mouth at that second, it would spill out: how much he really, really wanted to kiss Louis right then. And how much he wanted to find out which name Louis would cry out with Harry on his knees in front of him. He bit his lip and took a deep breath, before extending his arm and giving a bit of a bow. “After you.”

The way Louis smiled at Harry made Harry’s grin widen until his cheeks hurt.

**

Zayn waited for Louis to get level with him before pulling him tight against his side.

“Might want to take it down a notch, _Chop Suey_. You’re giving me secondhand embarrassment,” he laughed softly in Louis’ ear.

Louis pinched his side. “Shut up, Zayn.”

Zayn gave him a squeeze. “He’s being just as embarrassing if it makes you feel any better.”

Louis felt heat spreading over his cheeks, but he managed to school his face into something approaching dignified. “It does, actually.”

Zayn laughed, his nose scrunching up. Louis elbowed him in the ribs and was relieved when Niall swooped in from out of nowhere and wrestled Zayn and his observations away from Louis.

Except Harry popped up a moment after, bumping shoulders with him.

“You want me to talk to the hotel management? I’ve been told I can be quite charming,” Harry said, showing off that damn dimple of his that made Louis a bit weak in the knees.

“Fancy yourself a charmer, d’you?” Louis raised his eyebrows.

“You don’t agree?” Harry asked, doing a very bad job of biting back a grin.

Louis did agree. Wholeheartedly. Harry was stupidly charming. It was bad form for him to say it, though. “I guess I need to see you in action. Or were you trying to be charming all this time?”

Harry gave him what Louis guessed was supposed to be a wounded look, except Harry appeared to have quite a bit of trouble controlling his face; he couldn’t quite hide the grin that kept showing through.

“I was voted ‘Most Likely to Charm His Way to the Top’ in high school,” Harry told him.

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Louis lied.

“It was actually ‘Most Likely to Get Arrested,” Harry confessed, shaking his hair out.

That made Louis pause. “What? Why?”

“For exhibitionism,” Harry laughed without a trace of shame. “I like being naked.”

Louis stared. Blinked. Gulped. “That was a mental image I could have done without,” he managed- after a bit too long if Harry’s smug face was any indication. The image of Harry lounging about in the nude was a distracting one; he didn’t need to strain his imagination too much, though, thanks to Harry’s ridiculously tight jeans and shirt unbuttoned almost to his navel.

As it turned out, Harry really could charm his way to the top. He somehow talked the manager into letting them stay in the penthouse with free room service. Not that Louis had done too badly, procuring them free VIP passes to every lounge, bar and club in the vicinity. Louis had batted his eyelashes and brought out the wink and the hip cocked to the side that he knew worked like a charm, but all Harry had to do was smile; and once the dimple popped up, it was all over.

“You’re a menace,” Louis admitted when Harry told them the good news.

Niall whooped and Zayn raised his hand for a fistbump.

“You’re welcome,” Harry drawled. Louis kind of wanted to hit him, with his mouth, on his mouth.

Zayn had been all for going up to their new rooms and staying in to take full advantage of the free room service, but had backtracked in a hurry when Niall started to talk about how they could watch a golf tournament on the television

They decided, instead, to put those VIP passes to use and find somewhere with alcohol; and lots of it.

Louis discovered that Harry was a ridiculous dancer the moment they stepped into the first club. He waved his arms in the air with abandon and wiggled like an inflatable puppet in a breeze. It shouldn’t have been attractive. Except, Harry had the most amazing legs Louis had ever seen and every offbeat shake of his hips made heat pool low in Louis’ belly.

Harry came over when he caught Louis staring at him. “Why aren’t you dancing?” he asked. “Show me your crazy shapes.”

“I need a bit more to drink for that,” Louis said.

Harry stuck his tongue out at him. “Watch this,” he said. He called for Niall and together, they did an ungainly jig, which made Louis have to bite down on his lip to keep himself from bursting with laughter.  
  
**

Harry’s stool wobbled for a moment as he sat down. The drinks he was holding sloshed over, spilling on his hand. After he set down the glasses, he brought his hand to his mouth, his tongue curling around the knuckles and dragging up to his fingertips. He looked up when he heard an odd strangled sound.  
Louis was looking at him, wide-eyed. Harry’s mouth curled into a smile and he sucked the tips of two fingers into his mouth, keeping his eyes locked on Louis’.  
Louis raised his eyebrows, but there was a definite flush to his face as he pulled out a wad of napkins from the dispenser and waved them in front of Harry, mumbling something indistinguishable.

Harry tried to take a sip of his drink but was grinning so widely some of it spilled down his chin. Despite his embarrassment, it was worth it to see Louis laugh again.

“Twat,” Louis said. He flicked a scrunched up napkin that Harry had dropped on the table, hitting him square in the chest where his shirt gaped open. The damp paper clung to his skin for a moment before slipping beneath his shirt. They stared at each other for a beat before bursting out laughing.

“So, Harry,” Louis began, once they’d calmed down. “What’s a nice boy like you doing breaking into other people’s rooms in Vegas, hm?”

“Who said I was a nice boy?” Harry teased, schooling his face with difficulty into what Niall had termed his ‘serial killer face.’ His mum had always called it his runway model face, though.

Louis rolled his eyes at him and poked Harry’s cheek in the spot where his most pronounced dimple popped up when he smiled. “Your dimple gave you away, love.”  
“Damn it,” he tried to grumble, but it came out as more of a giggle.

Louis nodded emphatically. “About as intimidating as a basket of kittens.”

Harry stuck his tongue out. “You seemed ready to bolt when you walked into the room before and saw me.”

Louis shook his head. “That was all Niall,” he deadpanned.

Harry laughed. “I can see that.”

They smiled at each other, and Harry was surprised at the thought that he’d never felt as comfortable with somebody he had just met as he did with Louis.

“Well?” Louis prompted.

“I guess I just came to get away from stuff at home,” Harry confessed.

“Got a baby momma after you?” Louis quipped, but at Harry’s solemn head shake, he went serious too. His hand twitched towards Harry’s on the table. Their fingertips brushed against each other’s, and when Harry flattened out his fingers, sliding them under Louis’ palm, Louis brushed a soothing circle on the back of Harry’s hand with his thumb.

“Um, I’ve been working at this bakery since I was... sixteen? But it’s been a part of my life since I was a baby- my mum worked there when I was little. And she’d let us- my sister and I-  pick out a treat when she picked us up from the nursery around the corner after her shift.”

Harry paused, running a finger around the edge of his glass. “When I finished school I started studying law because I thought, well… I thought I could do something useful as a lawyer, you know? I wanted to save, um..."

Harry broke off. Because, what was he doing? He knew most people didn’t appreciate his long-winded explanations, and Louis was probably not expecting an answer different from the standard ‘I came to party.’ He was almost afraid to look up and see Louis looking awkward or bored out of his mind. A boy had once flat out told him that he’d scared him off from pursuing anything with him after he’d started talking.

“Yeah?” Louis said, giving his hand a little squeeze.

Harry looked up and forced himself to look at Louis as he talked. “But I just couldn’t. I realized that there wasn’t anything I could do to help, and… I quit. I went back to working at the bakery, full time now. That was two years ago.”

“So what changed?” Louis asked. Harry felt that he had his full attention and that Louis wasn’t just pretending to listen to be polite. His heart hammered in his chest.  
“That bakery I work- worked in- it belongs to my mother now. And she just gave me the sack,” Harry sighed.

Louis eyed him thoughtfully. “All right, Pillsbury Doughboy,” he said, poking Harry’s dimple again, “what we need right now is another round of drinks.”

Harry’s mood, which had plummeted with every word he’d spoken, lightened immediately.

“C’mon. Let’s go somewhere else,” Louis jumped off his stool and extended his hand. Harry took it without a second thought.

**

Niall dragged them into a Hawaiian-themed lounge bar just around the corner from the hotel. He joined the girl at the entrance in a dance routine, laughing his head off, while Louis cheered him on.

Once inside, another girl stepped forward with leis slung around her forearms, handing them out. Harry had to bend down so that she could slip it over his head.

“Good look,” Louis said.

Harry may have stopped breathing when Louis leaned in close to talk into his ear, resting a hand on Harry’s chest. “I’m going to go get us some drinks, hm? With outrageous alcoholic content.” He winked before slipping away, disappearing quickly in the crowd.

Harry looked around in search of somewhere they could sit. His eye fell on a couple just leaving their corner table with a plush booth seat, and he rushed forward without a second thought for Zayn or Niall and how they might not all fit.

In fact, once seated, Harry had only to sprawl a little to occupy the whole thing, so it would be a comfortable squeeze for him and Louis. Satisfied and giddy, he took out his phone to pop Liam a message. He had no idea what time it was back in London but he didn’t care. He started typing,‘ _Havin a grreat timee. Met-_ ’ before pausing, unsure how to describe Louis. The love of his life? No, that might be a little extreme. Harry decided on finishing his text with, ‘ _a reallly cute guy_ ’.

Liam didn’t answer, but Zayn seemed to materialize out of nowhere, hair in complete disarray.

“Your friend is a maniac.”

“What’d he do now?” Harry asked, grudgingly moving so that Zayn could sit down.

“He tried to strangle me with a lei,” Zayn said, sounding more animated than Harry ever had heard him. “He was like a monkey- clinging on to me-”

Zayn’s voice faded into static when Harry saw Louis coming toward them, swaying his hips with the music, a drink in each hand.

“What’re yeh-” Zayn twisted around, saw Louis and rolled his eyes.

“Sorry,” Harry said. But he couldn’t stop himself from glancing back up at Louis as he reached the table.

“What happened to you, babe?” Louis asked Zayn, running his fingers through Zayn’s hair after setting the drinks down.

“Niall is terrorizing Zayn,” Harry informed him, patting Zayn’s shoulder.

Zayn shrugged him off and stood up. “You owe me, Tommo!” he said. Harry would have thought he was genuinely pissed off if it weren’t for the gentle way he ruffled Louis’ hair as he walked off.

“Tommo?” Harry asked.

Louis hummed around the twirly straw in his drink. “’s a nickname.”

Harry had to remember to close his mouth as Louis sucked at the straw with apparent relish.

“Louis Tomlinson,” he explained.

“Nice to meet you,” Harry grinned. “I’m Harry Styles.”

Louis grinned at him. “Stylish.”

Then he giggled. And Harry, staring at Louis in awe, missed his mouth and nearly stuck the straw up his nose when he tried to have a sip of his drink. “You never told me what you were doing in Vegas?”

“Oh.” Louis tapped his foot to the rhythm of the music. “I’m not drunk enough to tell you about that yet.”

“Hey, you can trust me, Lou,” Harry said quietly, surprising himself.

Louis made a face at Harry. “Can I touch your hair? I feel like that’s the only way to make sure I can trust you with my deep, dark past.”

Harry gaped at him.

“I want that,” Harry blurted out. He shook out his hair. “For you to tell me-”

Louis petted his hair, twirling a ringlet round his finger. “Tell you what?”

“Everything about you.”

Louis tucked Harry’s hair behind his ear. He let his fingers skim down Harry’s neck, making him shiver.

“It’s not that much of a story, really,” Louis let his breath out in a huff. “I was, um, engaged.”

Harry’s stomach clenched with a flare of jealousy. “What happened?”

“I planned a surprise birthday party for him and he dumped me in front of all our friends and family,” Louis gave a bitter laugh. “Said I exhausted him and that he didn’t want to... to come home to me.”

Harry wasn’t normally violent but he very much wanted to punch that guy. “Fuck,” he said.

“Yeah,” Louis sighed. “I mean… I don’t think- I keep thinking now how I’m not sure I was ever really in love with him, you know? But it still-” His mouth twisted into a crooked grin. “It still blows.”

Harry nodded. “He’s a dickhead,” he said. “You deserve better than that.”

Louis ducked his head. “Thanks.”

He looked at Harry from beneath his eyelashes and Harry’s hand migrated to Louis’ knee for a comforting squeeze.

“I’m taking your drink,” Louis declared, reaching for his glass. “It’s getting all watered down because the ice is melting.”

Harry’s fingers twitched on Louis’ knee as Louis threw back his head to down Harry’s drink.

“I want to go somewhere we can dance, yeah? Get some shots?”

A weak ‘yeah’ was all Harry could manage as Louis grabbed his hand again.

**

Harry wasn’t wearing a watch, so he lost track of time as they made their way through several different clubs. Louis got progressively louder the more he drank and Niall kept getting lost in the crowd.

“Fuck it,” Louis said after ten minutes of going around in circles without spotting Niall. He stopped in the middle of the dance floor, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Kyle! Nail file! Kitchen tile!”

Harry thought Zayn was going to throw up when he saw him bend over, but when Zayn straightened he was clapping and laughing, eyes slitted and mouth open.  
“Louis!” Niall yelled in response somewhere in the distance.

He found them a moment after, tackling Harry and then flinging an arm around Louis’ neck.

“It’s Hewie or Chop Suey,” Louis stage whispered. “You’ll blow my cover, Niall!”

They all dissolved into helpless giggles.

“Why aren’t we gambling? We should – we should go to the casino,” Zayn said. He sounded wasted. Harry didn’t know how much Zayn had been drinking; he couldn’t quite remember how many drinks he’d had himself at that point, and everything kind of blurred after the first turn of the roulette.

Harry was starting to feel like he had tunnel vision; everything was Louis: smooth skin bathed in different colored lights and his perfect ass bent over the roulette table. Harry thought he was going to pass out from the desperate throbbing of his dick as he watched Louis play.

“Mate, mate,” Niall thumped Harry in the back.

“Hm?”

“You want to get in his pants,” Niall singsonged, slobbering on his ear.

Harry couldn’t keep his eyes off Louis.

“So bad,” he admitted. “So fucking bad. He’s gorgeous. Have you seen him? He’s like-”

Niall clapped his hand over Harry’s mouth. “Ye need- What ye need is to- to make an honest man of ‘im first.”

“What?” Harry asked, confused.

“Yeh need to get hitched!” Niall shouted, pumping his fist excitedly. “I can be your best man.”

Harry’s brain was going slower than usual so it took him a moment to process what Niall was saying. Just-married sex. On their hotel suite king-sized bed.

“We need rings!” Harry shook Niall by the shoulders.

“You can get it all at the chapel. Let’s go! Let’s do this!” Niall jumped in place. “Harry, what’s your surname going to be now? Are you going to high- hyphen-” Niall spelled out his thoughts carefully. “Hyphenate your surnames?”

That seemed like a brilliant idea. They’d go well together. Styles-Tomlinson. Tomlinson-Styles.

“I’m going to propose,” Harry put his glass down too hard, his hands already sweaty.

Niall grabbed him by both shoulders and gave him a bit of a shake and a wet kiss on the forehead. “Go ahead. I’ll distract Zayn.”

Harry gulped, nervous. He felt a little less in control of his limbs than usual as he approached Louis. He wrapped an arm around his waist when Louis smiled at him.  
“Hey, love, blow for good luck?” Louis teased, lifting his palm up with the dice to Harry’s mouth.

“Lou, can I give you a blowjob?” Harry’s mouth ran ahead of him.

Louis’ eyebrows rose comically and his face colored.

Harry shook his head frantically. “I mean…” He took Louis’ limp hand in his. “Louis. I know we just met but, like, I think you’re just amazing, and I want to, if you want to-”

“Oh my god, Harry, just spit it out,” Louis said, his voice too high.

“Will you marry me?” Harry asked, getting down on one knee, still holding Louis’ hand. He looked up, trying to ignore the fact that his face was level with Louis’ crotch.

“What, no ring?” Louis asked hoarsely. He burst into quiet laughter then, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

Harry worked his own silver ring off his finger and held it out. “Marry me, Lou?”

Louis stared down at him with his mouth open. Then he nodded, and Harry slipped the ring onto his finger.

“Get up here and kiss me,” Louis demanded.

Harry wrapped his arms around Louis, hesitantly at first. Then he drew him closer, with one of his hands spanning the small of his back, and the other sliding up between his shoulder blades. Louis curled a hand on his hip and pulled him down, gripping the nape of his neck with the other.

Harry tilted his head and brushed their lips together. He closed his eyes, feeling the tickle of Louis’ eyelashes on his cheek for a moment as their lips met again, and again. Harry’s hand moved down to Louis’ ass and gripped, pressing their bodies tightly together as Louis moaning into his mouth.

“Save it for the wedding night.”

Harry jumped. Louis stepped back, leaving Harry dazed and turned on.

“You’re giving everyone a free show,” Zayn went on, resting his arm on Louis’ shoulder while giving Harry a pointed look.

Harry turned with relief to see Niall bouncing toward them, waving a slip of paper in his hand. “Got it! We’re up in a few minutes. Got those two elderly ladies to serve as additional witnesses.”

“Brilliant,” Zayn grinned at Niall.

Louis exchanged a quick, bewildered glance with Harry before elbowing Zayn in the side. “How are you so all right with this? You were ready to throw me an intervention when I got engaged to Mason and we’d been going out for over a year!”

Zayn shrugged and put his arm around Harry’s shoulder.

“I like Harry,” He kissed Harry’s cheek and ignored Niall when he offered up his own cheek as well. “And I’m pretty drunk.”

**

Harry thought it was a beautiful wedding. It came complete with a loud, jarring version of the hymn for them to walk down the aisle and an Elvis impersonator whose breath smelled strongly of ground coffee to officiate the wedding. Of course, Harry had to go and trip on the rug, knocking over an entire row of chairs in a bizarre domino effect.

He might have cried a little, murmuring all the little snippets of love songs that came into his mind for his vows. When it was his turn, Louis’ face scrunched up and he pinched Harry’s cheeks, and said something so quickly and so heavily accented that all Harry caught was ‘everything about you.’

“You may kiss.”

Louis jumped on Harry, who held him up and twirled him around as they kissed. They upset several more chairs as they left but Elvis just looked satisfied. He held out his hand in a final blessing as Harry carried Louis out of the chapel.

“Our marriage has been blessed by Elvis,” Harry told Louis, kissing him again.

“Sick,” Louis breathed when they broke apart. “Now, what was that about a blowjob?”

They all took the lift together, but Zayn stepped out on another floor just to get away from them and Niall kept to a corner of the lift, red-faced and cackling every time Harry groaned.

“Have fun, you two!” he called when they finally reached their suite.

Harry stumbled into the bedroom. Distracted by Louis’ hand on his ass, he couldn’t spare more than a passing thought to the spectacular view through the floor-length windows.

Louis pushed him onto the bed and stood at the foot of it, bathed in the glow from the city lights.

With his eyes on Harry, he said, “nice view,” before climbing on top of him. Louis’ hands slipped beneath Harry’s shirt as he bit kisses on the exposed V-line of his chest, and sucked and licked up the column of his neck.

Harry bucked his hips without conscious thought. He splayed his hands on Louis’ hips while Louis panted at the angle of his jaw, working the buttons of Harry’s shirt open.

A moan slipped out of his mouth when Louis traced the shell of his ear with the tip of his tongue. Harry dragged his palms up Louis’ chest, riding his shirt up and tugging until Louis pulled it over his head.

“Lou.” Harry pulled him down with a hand to the back of his head to lick into his mouth, giving Louis’ cock a squeeze through his jeans with his other hand. Louis’ breath hitched.

Harry ran his hands up and down Louis’ thighs on either side of him when Louis started rolling his hips, riding Harry’s dick through his jeans until he was afraid he was going to come.

“Lou, let me- want to-” Harry slurred, gripping Louis’ waist to keep him still. He winced when Louis sat up, shifting against Harry’s cock.

“Fuck, Harry, you’re so fucking fit,” Louis groaned, hands splayed on Harry’s chest, sliding up to span the breadth of his shoulders.

Harry fumbled with the button of Louis’ jeans. “You’re gorgeous,” he panted. “Want to suck you.”

Louis nodded, bottom lip between his teeth. He rolled off Harry and out of bed. Harry watched Louis shimmy out of his jeans before gingerly reaching down to unbutton his own.

He was startled by Louis tugging off his boot. Harry laughed when Louis made a face of exaggerated disgust as he peeled off Harry’s socks.

“If I’d known about this I would never have agreed to this marriage,” he teased as he helped Harry out of his tight jeans.

“My feet don’t smell,” Harry whined, grinning.

Louis gave a last tug over Harry’s ankles, stumbling back. “Next time, you’re getting these off yourself.”

Harry giggled as he shrugged off his shirt.

“Get over here,” he said, sitting up at the edge of the bed.

When Louis sat next to him, Harry pressed his mouth to his neck and licked the curve of his collarbones before sliding down to the floor between his legs.

“Why are you even still wearing these?” Harry curled his fingers under the waistband of Louis’ pants, pressing wet kisses onto his belly and the inside of his thighs.

Louis shuddered. “Waiting for you to take them off,” he said breathlessly, before lifting his hips so Harry could pull his pants down. “Trying to get a little even, you know. Bloody hard to get those jeans off you.”

Harry ran his hands flat up the back of Louis’ thighs, slipping under to grab his ass while he nuzzled the warm skin at the crease of his thigh. He took Louis’ cock in his mouth, curling his tongue around the head and sucking at the wetness that had gathered before sliding down the shaft, a little farther each time he went back down.

Harry glanced at Louis and moaned around his cock when he caught Louis’ heavy-lidded gaze. Louis kept licking his lips around soft, almost inaudible wet gasps, and Harry’s fingertips were throbbing in tempo with his cock, gripping tightly at Louis’ ass.

When Harry lifted Louis’ right leg over his shoulder, Louis grabbed his neck for balance, digging deep into the muscle when Harry’s fingers caught against the rim of his hole, slid behind his balls, slick with sweat, and twisted back, pressing against his hole.

“’M going to come,” Louis said, voice strangled.

Harry moaned encouragingly, teasing at the rim with the tip of his fingers as he tongued the head of his cock. He kept his eyes on Louis’, watching his mouth fall open and his eyes squeeze shut. Harry swallowed when Louis came, keeping him in his mouth until he grew soft and Louis tugged at his hair.

“Fuck, Harry,” Louis exhaled shakily, holding his arms out. Harry pushed him back against the bed as he folded himself into Louis’ embrace so that they lay side by side, with Harry half on top of him. He rocked his hips, cock sliding against Louis’ thigh.

“Get higher,” Louis said, breath hot and humid against Harry’s hairline. Harry lifted himself up over Louis, resting on one elbow and reaching for his cock with his other hand. His knuckles knocked against Louis’ hipbone with every pump of his fist.

Louis lay open-mouthed kisses on Harry’s chest, lapped at his nipples, sucked one into his mouth.

“Louis, so close. Fuck.”

Louis rested his hand on the swell of Harry’s hip, spreading his fingers down to Harry’s arse. “C’mon, Harry,” he whispered, nipping at his jaw.

Louis kept his gaze fixed on Harry’s, his tongue peeking between his lips.

Harry came with a loud groan. At the first pulse of his cock his eyes shot down, another moan spilling from his lips when he shot on Louis’ belly, and again, pooling in the slight dip beneath his sternum.

Harry let himself fall back, breathing hard, murmuring ‘Lou’ between inhalations. Louis bit his shoulder. “You’ve got more nipples than I expected.”

Harry laughed. “You’ve married a freak of nature.”

Louis kissed the corner of his mouth because Harry couldn’t stop smiling. “Clearly.”

Louis dozed off soon after but Harry felt too giddy to sleep. Though he had entertained the thought of a one-night stand while he was in Vegas, he never expected he’d end up married. Maybe it was the high after a fantastic orgasm or the lingering buzz from all the drinks, but he was feeling pretty good about his impromptu marriage. He guessed people who got lucky in the casino felt like he was feeling at that moment.  
  
**  
  
Although Louis woke up with a pounding headache, gummy eyes and the taste of too much to drink the night before in his mouth, he felt... good. Satisfied in a way that he hadn’t for the longest time.

He scratched at his belly and winced when he felt the dried come that he’d never got around to wiping off the night before. He raised himself up on his elbows, blinking against the sunlight. He cocked an ear, expecting to hear the shower or noise coming from the kitchenette, but there was nothing.

Feeling a little put out, he forced himself to get out of bed. He needed a shower. It wasn’t until he was soaping his belly that he noticed the ring on his finger. Not Mason’s engagement ring, but a wedding band: a cheap, plain ring with a gold covering that would probably flake off in a fortnight. Because, of course, he had to get hitched in Vegas. His mum was going to flip.

He was married. Legally married. Consummated marriage. No take-backs married. He needed something to eat and a Bloody Mary before he could think about it in too much detail.

Harry had left a note to let him know he was at the 24-hour buffet. Louis was not going to be charmed by the fact that he’d dotted the ‘i’ in ‘Louis’ with a heart. He’d married a teenage girl. A teenage girl with a massive cock who gave amazing blowjobs.

And Harry seemed like a decent guy, of the sort to split the costs of getting a divorce. Except he was out a job. Louis thought he might be amenable to have Harry make it up to him with sex.

His phone pinged.

Zayn: _Get down to the buffet right now_.

When he got downstairs, he immediately recognized Harry’s curly hair and saw Zayn and Niall sitting with him. After reading Zayn’s text, he had thought there was something really wrong. But everyone looked fine; he was going to kill Zayn for nearly giving him a heart attack.

He walked up to them feeling a little nervous. Last night had been good. Not just the sex- the whole night had been fun and just really nice. But they’d started out with a bit of a buzz and ended up on that high point of inebriation where everything seems like a good idea and really funny. And maybe that was all it had been. Maybe now, in the light of day, without his best pair of jeans and with his unstyled hair, Harry would regret it. Louis really didn’t want him to regret it.

“There are rules about this, boys. No getting up before noon after a night out partying,” Louis said, clapping a hand on Zayn’s back and, after an instant’s hesitation, Harry’s.

“It’s two in the afternoon, Lou,” Harry grinned up at him, putting his hand over Louis’ on his shoulder.

“Is it?” Louis whistled for effect, making Niall laugh. He turned to Zayn, who was wolfing down a plateful of fruit pastries in front of him. “How come you’re up before me? I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have to drag you out of bed.”

Zayn shrugged. “I didn’t stay up fucking.”

“Oh my god,” Niall wheezed.

Louis gave Zayn an unimpressed look. “Next time you text me like you’re about to get cannibalized, see who comes running.”

Harry pouted at Zayn. “I thought we were getting on.”

Zayn stuffed one of his pastries in Harry’s mouth. “You’re not the problem.”

Niall snorted, spraying cereal on the tablecloth.

“He is,” Zayn said.

“You love me,” Niall made kissy-faces at him. “You wish we’d gotten married like these two last night.”

Louis’ hand twitched on Harry’s shoulder. Harry gave his hand a little squeeze. “Niall filmed it on his phone,” he told Louis, smiling. “But he won’t show it to me.”

“I’ve got to make it a proper wedding montage. Highlight all the embarrassing bits,” Niall insisted.

“It wasn’t really a proper wedding,” Louis said. He’d meant it as a joke but regretted it when Harry’s face fell a little.

“Still legal,” Zayn commented.

“Yes, thank you, Zayn. Observant as ever,” Louis groused.

“We should probably talk about it,” Harry said.

Louis exhaled loudly. “Let’s go- over there.”

He led the way to a deserted corner of the lobby. He poked at a slot machine thoughtlessly.

“Here.”

Louis looked up to Harry offering him a quarter. He took it with a mumbled ‘thank you.’

He took a deep breath. “This was a mistake. We can’t be married.”

Harry frowned. “Why?”

It threw Louis off a bit. He didn’t expect for Harry to want to stay married to a complete stranger he’d married while drunk.

“Harry, you’re just a kid; you don’t even have a job,” Louis argued.

“I’m only two years younger than you,” Harry retorted. “And I won’t stay unemployed forever... hopefully. So what’s the real problem?”

Louis let out his breath in a huff. “Look, I don’t want another person who’s stuck with me. I want the real thing. I’ve had enough with guys using me to find themselves at my expense. You need to figure out your issues with baking and lawyering all by yourself.”

Harry went stiff. “It’s not like that. And it’s not like you love your job- wouldn’t shut up about how shit it is when we went for a piss at that Gothic place.”

“So?” Louis didn’t even remember that.

“So you seem like you need to do some ‘finding yourself’ of your own.”

“And you want to go with me on the journey?” Louis scoffed.

“Maybe I do.”

“You’re just looking for a reason not to have to move on. I’m not going to be a distraction.”

“Why are you being so difficult?” Harry dragged his hands down his face.

Like Louis hadn’t heard that before. “Get lost, Harry.”

“Lou-”

Louis put the coin in, studiously ignoring Harry, and pulled the lever. Eyes fixed on the roving slots.  _Anchor. Anchor_. Louis’s heart flip-flopped when it came to a stop: _anchor_.

“Fuck,” he squeaked.

“No way.”

They stared at each other as confetti showered on them to the blaring sound of clinking coins. _Jackpot._

Louis jumped into Harry’s arms without thinking. Harry didn’t bat an eyelid; he supported his weight and spun them in place, cheering.

Then Louis remembered they had just been fighting and were going to get a divorce.

A casino representative came over, smile plastered on. He clutched a large, cardboard check in his hand, made out for three million dollars. “Who’s the lucky winner?”

“Me! Tommo! Me,” Louis wrestled out of Harry’s arms, tripping over his words.

As the representative prepared the check to Louis, Harry cut in with, “It was my coin. And we’re married, actually.”

Louis glared at him. “I knew you just wanted me for my money.”

“You didn’t have any money until five minutes ago!” Harry threw his hands up. “And it’s our money.”

“What do you want with it?” Louis poked him in the chest.

“I want to, like, set up my own business,” Harry replied.

“So you don’t have to work for your mum? Very mature.”

“That’s not-” Harry broke off. He crossed his arms over his chest. “What about you?”

Louis hesitated. It was something out of a dream to win so much money but his mind drew a blank about what to do with it. All he could think of was taking care of his family.

“I don’t know,” he blurted out finally. “Go on a fucking cruise.”

Harry looked at him in distaste.

“It’s my money. I can do whatever I want with it.” Louis tried to tug the gigantic check from the manager.

Harry grabbed onto a corner and pulled right back. “It’s our money.”

“We’ll see about that,” Louis hissed.  
  
**

It was really quite unfair that getting married was so easy and getting unmarried was so damn hard- especially when there were three million dollars involved.  
The fact of the matter was that Louis had pulled the lever. That it was Harry’s coin was inconsequential- if he’d picked it up from the ground would the person who dropped it be entitled to his good fortune? No.

It was a sound argument, or it had seemed like it at the time, sprawled on the couch with Zayn, blowing smoke into each other’s faces and laughing as they thought up the most absurd things to do with such an insane amount of money.

Louis hadn’t expected Harry to show up with an attorney and ‘evidence.’

“Shit,” Zayn hissed when Harry’s lawyer spread out a handful of manila envelopes on the counsel’s table.

Louis punched him in the arm. He refused to be intimidated by Counselor Payne, who didn’t look much older than Harry and had a very mellow sort of face.  
For his case, Harry submitted the message he had left Louis on a napkin, a couple of pictures Louis didn’t remember taking that featured them hanging onto each other, and a short video of Harry shouting ‘I love Lou, Lou, Lou’ dissolving into fish noises while Louis giggled like an idiot, puffing up Harry’s cheeks to match the fish impression.

Apparently, it was meant to convince the judge that they’d been happily married long enough that Harry should get half the money with the divorce.  
And, apparently, the judge was an absolute idiot because he fell for it. Worse, he decided that, in light of the evidence, they should give their marriage a try because love deserved a chance. And what kind of romantic bullshit was that? Weren’t judges and lawyers supposed to be heartless, cold machines who would rather print out divorce papers than assign marriage counselling for six months?

Louis couldn’t believe his luck.

**

“This is some messed up shit,” Zayn said, puffing, as they went up another set of stairs. “Don’t expect me to come visit.”

Louis glared at the back of Zayn’s head while he stopped to readjust his grip on the suitcase he was lugging up the stairs. Sixth floor in a building with no lift; it did seem like some kind of sick joke.

“You’re a shit friend,” Louis called out, swearing as the edge of the suitcase hit the bone of his ankle.

Zayn reached the next landing before him and Louis saw him peering at the number on the door, box still cradled in his arms. “Is it here?”

Louis nodded, massaging his hand, which had cramped from the heavy weight. “You better stop by every day to make sure I’m still alive.”

Zayn’s look was pitying. “I’ll text you,” he said, leaning over to give Louis a kiss on the cheek just as the door to 6A opened.

“Heeey. That’s my husband,” Harry protested, grinning like a maniac.

Niall bounced out from behind him. “Welcome! Welcome... to your nightmare!” he moaned, flapping his hands at Louis and Zayn.

“D’you live here too?” Zayn asked, raising his eyebrows.

Niall laughed, slinging an arm around Harry’s neck. “Nah; just came to oversee the move-in. Love birds settling into their nest.”

Niall only laughed harder, squirming away when Louis twisted his nipple in retaliation. Harry clapped his hands delightedly.

“Are you filming this for more evidence?” Louis asked suspiciously.

Harry shook his head. “But it might be a good idea-”

He turned to Niall, who fished his phone out of his jeans. “On it.”

Louis signalled frantically for Zayn to do the same. Zayn rolled his eyes but took out his phone.

“Welcome to my house. _Mi casa es su casa_ ,” Harry said, spreading his arms stiffly and shooting glances at the camera in a very obvious way, barely able to keep a straight face.

Louis wanted to pinch his cheek. He had to remind himself that Harry was actually a bit of a prick behind that adorable facade.

“Our home,” Louis said, looking up at Harry and batting his eyelashes while pawing at his chest.

He heard Zayn snort. “A little over the top,” he muttered.

Louis gave him the middle finger down low where it wouldn’t catch on film.

“I got that,” Niall hooted.

Harry grinned, bit his lip, and, before Louis could stop him, scooped Louis up bridal-style. “Have to carry you over the threshold,” he said. Niall gave him a thumbs-up. Zayn doubled up in silent laughter, not even bothering to hold the phone up.

Louis buried his burning face in the crook of Harry’s neck. “I’m going to shave off your hair while you sleep,” he whispered through his teeth into Harry’s ear.  
He felt Harry’s chest shaking with laughter as he carried him into the flat. “Don’t even joke about that,” he whispered back.

“And cut!” Niall shouted in an accented American director voice. “That was perfect. Whispering sweet nothings to each other- what a touch!”

“Put me down, Harold, so I can punch Niall in the dick,” Louis growled, trying not to get distracted by the sweet, woodsy smell that he’d found lurking in Harry’s curls. The night they’d spent together, he’d smelled like expensive cologne and peanuts and alcohol. He liked today’s scent better.

Harry cackled and walked forward to dump Louis on the couch. Louis aimed a kick at his shin but he turned away too fast.

**

It turned out the flat was nice.

Even if it was a one room open concept- which meant privacy could be found in the bathroom and a small balcony, and nowhere else.

And except for the lack of a lift, which was inhuman. Then again, Harry hadn’t been lying when he’d told Louis that he’d married a freak of nature: Harry woke up every morning at an unreasonable hour for someone who didn’t have a job.

They’d done rock/paper/scissors to see who got to sleep on the bed. Or tried to, because Harry thought it was hilarious to turn up with ‘fire’ and ‘smoke’ and Louis had retaliated with ‘rain’ and ‘wind’ and the whole thing had deteriorated into them signing and shouting increasingly non-sensical things.

“We should just share,” Harry suggested.

Louis’ head shot up from where he’d been trying to fish out the last of the noodles from the Chinese take-away. “Excuse me?” he said, voice breaking.

The thought of how they’d have to sleep all wrapped up in each other gave him flashbacks from Vegas, how Harry had grabbed his hand and rolled on to his side, pulling Louis with him so that he was pressed tightly against Harry’s naked back, legs intertwined. He’d fallen asleep immediately, drowsy after a killer orgasm and plenty to drink.

But the thought of lying on a bed with Harry sober and trying to sleep was paralyzing.

For one thing, Mason wasn’t much of a cuddler. And he’d taken to leaving the bed to ‘get a glass of water’ once they’d finished and not returning until Louis, drowsy and upset, had curled up on his side of the bed.

“We should share,” Harry repeated, looking at him curiously. “Like, you take the bed one night and I take it another, you know?”

Louis frowned. “That’s a little weird, isn’t it?”

Harry shrugged. “It’s that or a coin toss.”

Louis thought it might be best not to risk it. The idea of having to sleep on that couch for six months was not appealing.

It had seemed like less of a good idea when he was trying to get to sleep that night, with sheets that smelled like Harry, and Harry snoring softly on the couch just a few feet away.

When he finally fell asleep, he dreamt of Harry and woke up hard, with a crick in his neck, and still sleepy.

Feeling frustrated, he stumbled to the bathroom and stepped into the shower, ignoring his erection because he had to get to work and his time was carefully calculated. There was no time for a wank in the morning. He needed his tea, though, which meant he might have to wake Harry to ask him where he kept his kettle.

Sighing, Louis opened the shower curtain and reached for his towel with a shiver.

The door opened without warning.

Louis may have screamed. Harry just stared, open-mouthed.

“Fucking hell,” Louis scrambled to wrap the towel around himself. “Didn’t you learn to knock? What are you even doing awake?”

Harry sucked his bottom lip into him mouth, blinked at Louis a few times. “I went for a run. I run in the mornings. Like, in the park a couple of blocks from here,” he explained, finally. “I thought you were still asleep.”

Louis crossed an arm over his chest, holding up the towel at his waist with the other. “That’s... an awful habit,” he replied, only then taking in Harry in his running shorts, his long legs on display, all lean and muscular. His hair was pulled back in a headband and his neck and arms were glistening with sweat. Louis gulped.

“I have worse,” Harry joked.

Louis couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t doubt it.”

And then Harry started undressing, with Louis still standing in the bathtub.

“D’you mind?” Louis said as Harry pulled his shirt over his head.

“Nothing we haven’t seen before,” He winked as he stepped out of his shorts.

Louis bit the inside of his cheek, flushed, made an aborted movement because he just wanted to grab his cock and jerk off. “I’d forgotten you were an exhibitionist,” he said, composing himself to go past Harry into the main room to get dressed.

“Naked is natural,” Harry declared, smirking at him as Louis edged around him to get through the door. He could feel Harry’s heat and smell the mix of sweat and deodorant as he got up close to him.

“I’m locking the door tomorrow,” Louis vowed.

He did. He locked the front door and left the key in the lock so Harry couldn’t get in. He almost choked on his tea from laughing so hard as Harry swore and knocked – lightly, because it was so early and he was a polite wanker – and then louder and louder until Louis finally took pity on him and let him in.

“That was mean,” Harry pouted when Louis opened the door.

Louis was soft, and weak for Harry in running shorts, so he stopped at a bakery later that day and bought Harry a banana bran muffin for him to have for breakfast the next morning.

He’d forgotten all about it by the time he got out of work, past his leaving time and with a massive headache from clenching his jaw all day.

The fact was, Louis kind of hated his job. He hated pandering to condescending big shots and the unrewarding gruelling paperwork and the mind-numbing monotony of it all. But it paid his bills and he could help out his mum and sisters with a little bit every month, and he thought that maybe, if he got that promotion that Simon had been dangling in front of his nose for months, it would all be worth it.

He dragged himself up the stairs in a horrible mood. He felt like screaming when he dropped his phone as he took out his keys to open the door.

“Hey,” Harry said, not looking away from the television screen. He was bouncing in front of the TV wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and a stretched out, white T-shirt. His brow was furrowed in concentration, bottom lip jutting out.

Louis stared, and then did a double take that had nothing to do with Harry’s V-line and all to do with the fact that the controller Harry was waving around like a maniac – a very poor technique – was definitely from a PS4. _His_ PS4 that had been in the box Zayn had carried up the stairs.

Louis kicked off his shoes, dropped his briefcase and marched up to Harry, irrationally angry. He wrestled the controller from his hands and turned off the game while Harry looked on with a look of shock on his face.

“I didn’t think you’d mind. Niall helped me set it up,” Harry said.

“Oh, why wouldn’t I mind you going through my stuff while I’m at fucking work and you’re just sitting around with Niall playing videogames,” Louis huffed.

He turned away from Harry’s apologetic face, unable to look at Harry’s wide, green eyes for another moment without breaking down. He was hungry and he wanted to break something and maybe have a bit of a cry in front of the telly with a bucket of ice cream.

“I’m sorry,” Harry said quietly behind him. “Bad day?”

“Like you care,” Louis mumbled. He refused to cry in front of Harry. Without looking at him, he stomped off to the bathroom, banging the door shut after him.  
Once he’d taken a long, warm shower and changed into something more comfortable, he felt a little better. And a little worse, because he’d overreacted and now he was embarrassed. He couldn’t stay in the bathroom all night, though. He thought maybe he could whip himself up a grilled cheese sandwich and watch something on his laptop.

It smelled like food when he stepped out of the bathroom. Warm, homemade food. Harry had set up the coffee table for him with a place mat, a cup of milk, and a steaming plate of chicken and vegetables.

Louis stared in surprise.

“I made dinner. And I saved you some. Thought that way you wouldn’t have to cook when you got home from work,” Harry explained, wringing his hands.

Louis went over to the couch. They stared at each other and sat down at the same time. Harry watched him as he took the first bite. “Um,” Louis cleared his throat. “Thanks, Harry. It’s really good.”

Harry offered him a small smile. “You’re welcome; and thanks.”

Since Harry had turned off the game the only sound was him chewing and it was making Louis uncomfortable. “I can’t really cook much, actually ,” he said.

It started off a conversation. And Louis had to admit that Harry was entertaining. It hadn’t just been the alcohol that had made him seem so charming. He told long-winded stories that Louis found himself listening to with real interest and had a predilection for awful puns that made him giggle.

By the time Louis got into bed, he was feeling quite relaxed, and he smiled as he snuggled into his pillow.

**

“Are you in some kind of cult?” Louis asked Harry during dinner a couple of nights in.

Harry stared at him, so he elaborated. “The candles… The insane number of candles. I’m sure it has to be in violation of some fire hazard regulation.”

Harry chuckled. “I don’t light them all at the same time.”

“Still,” Louis shook his head.

“And they smell nice,” Harry insisted.

That much was true. All the same, Louis still thought it was a tad over the top, what with candles lining the window sills, an absurd number in the bathroom and candles in colored glass jars in the living room. Louis had even found a box full of them in the back of the entrance hall closet.

“We’re getting a fire extinguisher,” Louis decided, nodding to himself.

He’d soon discovered that Harry had serious coordination problems, even when fully sober, so Harry around candles seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.

The problem was, Louis hadn’t made the connection that candles in the bathroom meant Harry liked to take long baths in candlelight. Naked baths. No bubbles.  
Until a few nights later, when he saw it for himself.

“Hey, Lou,” Harry smiled at him.

Louis stood in the doorway, barefoot with his shirt halfway unbuttoned.

“It’s hot in here,” was all he could think to say.    

“Could you hand me my phone?” Harry asked. “I forgot to text Liam to bring more flour. He wants to bake Sophia a cake for her birthday.”

Harry pointed at where he’d left his phone on the sink counter.

“Playing Cupid are you?” Louis picked up the phone and walked over to Harry.

Harry was leaning back with his arms resting on the sides of the tub. His hair was damp and curling over his shoulders, and the water lapped a little above his nipples.

Louis’ mouth went dry. He raised his eyes to Harry’s face and saw he had his gaze fixed on Louis’ face, his brow furrowed with that intense look he sometimes got, and his bottom lip between his teeth.

Louis swallowed with some difficulty. And then he made the mistake of looking down… Past Harry’s toned stomach and the cut of his hips, and straight at his cock. It twitched.

Louis heard a splashing sound. It took him a moment to realize that was from him dropping Harry’s phone in the water.

“Fuck,” Louis swore. “Shit, Harry. I’m so sorry.” Instinctively, he reached down to grab it from where it was submerged between Harry’s legs.

Harry made a choked sound as Louis fished it out, his knuckles brushing up against Harry’s inner thigh.

“It’s OK,” Harry gasped.

Louis’ face felt too hot.

“Maybe it can still work,” he managed, bundling up the phone in his towel. “Just need something to suck the moisture right out.”

Harry’s exhalation was loud and shaky.

“ _Draw_ the moisture out,” Louis stammered. “Need to dry it. I’ll go- put it in rice. I read that worked somewhere.” He hurried out of the bathroom, half-hard and a little lightheaded. He closed the door and leaned against it, thumping the back of his head against the wood. Ears straining, he heard Harry swear indistinguishably and groan.

Louis dovetailed it to the kitchen, definitely not thinking about Harry jacking off in the bathtub.

**

A couple of days later, he remembered that Harry was, deep down, an absolute prick. A prick with a big dick, and those were the worst sort, because they thought they were entitled to anything.

Louis got to the flat, disgusted with himself and the world in general- as usual when he was forced to deal directly with Simon. He kept telling himself that the promotion was worth it, even if it meant working with him more often.

Louis pulled off his clothes with more force than necessary. He tried to ignore Harry staring at him, sitting with his arm around the back of the couch, but finally had to turn around and call him out on it. “What?”

“Uh… Those for washing? Um, I was go- Gonna do the laundry tomorrow,” Harry stuttered.

Louis glared at him. “Is this what you do now? Keep house?”

Harry frowned. A real frown. “Nothing wrong with being domestic.”

“No. Just comfortable. Living off other people while you play house.”

Harry cocked his head at him, brow furrowed. “What? We’re splitting rent and utilities. I’ve never asked you for any money.”

Louis waved a hand dismissively. “And how can you afford that? You’re not doing anything!”

Harry raised an eyebrow.

“I’m on the dole,” He held his hands palms out in a placating gesture. “Look, you’re just tired-”

“I’m sorry I have to work for a living!” Louis shouted.

“You don’t work for a living. You live to work. At something you hate,” Harry said, voice soft. “I understand that you’re miserable, but it’s not fair to take it out on everyone else.”

Louis seethed. “I can’t afford to hide from the real world behind an apron, Harry, baking cookies and pies like fucking Cinderella,” he snarled.

Harry stood up, jaw clenched. “I’m not hiding. And you’re just bitter you never gave yourself the chance to do what you wanted to do.”

“And you tried and failed at it. Good job,” Louis sneered, hating himself as the words left his mouth.

Harry’s face closed off. He sat back down and returned his gaze to the TV, pulling up the volume.

Louis slammed the door when he left.

He spent the night over at Zayn’s. He was pissed off at Harry and at himself; and also at Zayn, whose tactless response when Louis had told him about the argument had been: “’s true you can get a little bitchy.” Louis had smacked a pillow in his face.

Staying at Zayn’s meant that the next morning, he had to rush out of the flat in an old shirt of his that Zayn had lying around and a pair of Zayn’s sweatpants. Not quite the outfit he would have chosen for their first marriage counselling session.

He smoothed down his fringe with one hand, glancing at his reflection in the wall mirror of the lift, trying to make himself more presentable.

“Hold the door, please,” a familiar voice called out.

Louis pounded the button for the doors to close, but Harry managed to squeeze inside before they closed.

“You,” Louis said.

Harry didn’t smile. “Hey.”

Louis stopped fidgeting with his hair and instead tugged at the hem of his shirt. “So, how are we going to play this?” he asked at last.

Harry raised his eyebrows. “What d’you mean?”

“I mean our best bet is to pretend like we’re getting along, right? We’re ‘making it work’ as per the judge’s orders, yeah?”

“I guess,” Harry shrugged.

Louis wasn’t sure how convincing of an actor Harry would be, and it turned out he was a pretty awful one. Although, he could admit part of the fault lay on the psychologist to which they’d been assigned.

“Dr. Nick Grimshaw,” he introduced himself. “But you can call me Grimmy.”

Louis was suspicious of anyone who would ask to be called Grimmy.

“So. Why don’t you start by telling me a little about yourselves, hm?”

“Well, Harry and I met in Vegas and it was love at first sight. We had a bit of a freak-out after, but these last couple of weeks have been so good, haven’t they, love?”  
He glanced at Harry with his best love-struck expression. “We adore each other,” he finished, turning back to Nick.

Nick didn’t look impressed. “What do you think, Harry? What’s it like living with Louis?”

Harry’s brow furrowed and Louis face-palmed internally because he could tell Harry was actually thinking about the question.

“Louis is a great person to just sit and admire what he’s like,” Harry said slowly.

Louis gaped at Harry. But he wasn’t done. “But, like, he can be kind of mean, sometimes?”

“Is that so?” Nick asked.

Harry nodded. “But I forgive him because he’s stressed out about his work.”

Nick’s head snapped to Louis. “Is that so?”

Louis frowned. “Harry just doesn’t know what it’s like to have to work in the real world.”

“See what I mean?” Harry said.

Nick nodded.

“I thought you were supposed to be impartial? How come you’re taking sides here?” Louis complained, more annoyed at the fact that he’d gotten roped into some kind of actual therapy instead of faking their way through it like they were supposed to.

“There are no sides here. We’re all on the same side,” Nick said, smiling at Louis. Louis glared at him.

The rest of the session had Nick trying to get Louis to admit that he could say hurtful things and encouraging Harry to stop avoiding confrontation. It was absurdly serious, like they were trying to save an actual marriage and not just there because the court required them to be there.

**

“I need a way to end this now,” Louis whined to Zayn later that day over a slice of pizza; he’d had enough of Harry and his healthy cooking. They were sprawled out on the sofa, Louis’ feet on Zayn’s lap.

Zayn shrugged. “What’s the issue? You could do worse for a flatmate.”

Louis prodded Zayn with his foot. Zayn raised his plastic plate out of his reach.

“The issue is...” Louis paused, not wanting to tell Zayn that the problem was that he wanted Harry to fuck him and he wanted Harry to fuck off and he wanted to fuck Harry up, all at the same time. That maybe in different circumstances they could have had something real. “The issue is that I want the money. Now. Not six months from now.”

Zayn raised his arm in invitation and Louis sat up to cuddle with him. He rested his head on Zayn’s shoulder, felt his jaw moving on the top of his head. “I’ve got an idea,” he said, chewing.

Louis opened his mouth for a bite of pizza.

“You got to get him to cheat on you.”

Louis mulled it over as he chewed. Quick and dirty. It could work.

**

Harry stared down at the piece of bacon on the floor in confusion. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, elbows on his knees, he was startled out of his reverie by a knock on the door. His head shot up in alarm.

“You might want to lock the door next time.” Liam said, slipping inside. Loud music filled the bathroom for an instant until he closed the door behind him.

“Poor piggy lost his blanket?” Liam quipped when he noticed the bacon on the floor.

Harry hummed, shrugging.

Liam sat down next to him. “Why are you hiding in here, H?”

“I had to get away from all the people hitting on me,” Harry said, feeling ridiculous even as the words came out of his mouth.

“Right,” Liam laughed. “Mate, I know you’re good looking, but-”

Harry shook his head and drank deeply from the glass Liam had brought him. “I’ve been hit on by at least ten people.”

“Well that’s just rude,” Liam said in mock indignation.

Harry shot him a reproachful look.

“I’m serious,” he said. “Very crude, too.”

Liam raised his eyebrows, munching thoughtfully at one of the mini sandwiches Harry had set out for the party. “And this is a new experience for you?” he asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

Harry flicked the bottom of Liam’s plastic plate, making Liam let out a tragic gasp as his food threatened to spill.

“I’m sorry,” Liam clapped a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I think I know what this is about, though.”

“What?”

“I’ve just realized. What’s the one thing that could end this – your marriage – immediately?” Liam poked a finger at his chest. “Adultery.”

Harry’s mouth fell open in sudden understanding. That made sense. Considering how tense things had been between him and Louis, he’d been surprised when, the day after their session with Nick, Louis came back from a second night away from the flat talking about throwing a party together. He wanted Harry to cheat on him.

Harry narrowed his eyes. “That little shit.”

Liam chuckled. “It’s a smart move, I’ll give him that.”

“In your official capacity as my lawyer, what do you recommend?” Harry asked.

Liam shrugged. “Don’t get caught?”

Harry made a face at him. “Some lawyer you are.”

“Harry, I’m in environmental law,” Liam said exasperatedly. He looked at Harry with a thoughtful look in his eye. “If it’s any consolation. I think he might be regretting his campaign to get you laid.”

“What d’you mean?”

“I mean Niall’s a busybody with a sharp eye, and we totally caught Louis seething when you were talking to that bloke, the one with the dark hair and the muscles?”

That was interesting. “Yeah?”

Liam grinned at him.

“Yeah,” He raised his fist for Harry to bump. “You going to fuck with him?”

Harry nodded. “Absolutely.”

The fact that Harry kind of – really – wanted to fuck him, too, was neither here nor there and not something that needed to be said out loud.

Harry rejoined the party with new purpose.

The first thing he did was head to the kitchen to grab another drink. Then he scanned the crowd to locate Louis. He was wearing a sheer fabric sweater with the sleeves rolled up and a too large neckline that slipped over one shoulder. It displayed enough of his collarbones to make Harry spill a third of his mixed soda.

Their eyes met just as Harry was approached by a leggy blonde girl- Louis had covered all his bases it seemed- who simpered as she complimented his hair, reaching out to touch it without a shade of hesitation.

Normally Harry tolerated that kind of behavior with as much grace as he could muster – and did his best to discourage it – but with the knowledge that Louis was looking at him, he gave her a brilliant smile instead, cocking his hip.

“Thanks. I grew it myself.”

She laughed just a little too loud, squeezing his arm. “Are you a grower then?” she asked.

Where had Louis found these people?

Harry forced his mouth into something as close to a leer as he could manage. “Only if you add leaven.”

He had to laugh at the girl’s face.

“Baker’s yeast?” he clarified.

He saw the girl shoot a bewildered look in Louis’ direction before giggling, pawing at his chest.

“Do you bake? I can just picture you covered in flour,” she drawled, hand lowering to grip his hip. “Wearing nothing but an apron.”

Harry could barely keep a straight face, but he was saved from having to answer or disentangle himself from her advances by Louis himself.

“Hannah,” Louis cut in. He slotted himself between them, stepping on Harry’s toes. “Perrie is looking for you, love.”

“But Harry and I were getting along so well,” Hannah said, widening her eyes significantly. “Are you sure she really needs me?”

“Yes, she does,” Louis said.

Harry stooped to rest his chin on Louis’ shoulder. “Nice to meet you.”

“Same,” Hannah said, shaking her head.

Louis shrugged him off the moment she turned away. He turned around to glare up at Harry. “Real charmer, you are.”

Harry wagged his eyebrows. “Worked my charm on you, didn’t I?”

“You caught me at a low point, don’t flatter yourself.”

Harry couldn’t answer for a moment, utterly transfixed by the animation on Louis’ face as he spoke.

“D’you regret it?” Harry asked with some trepidation.

Louis swallowed. His gaze flickered to Harry’s lips. Harry thought he could guess what Louis was thinking about. 

“I wouldn’t if what happened in Vegas really stayed in Vegas,” he answered finally, voice hoarse.

The flare of arousal was almost painful. “What about what happens on the balcony?”

Louis stared up at him, mouth pinched. Then, with a frustrated sound, he gripped his wrist and led them to the balcony.

The moment they were outside, Louis was reaching up to mash their mouths together, his hands gripping Harry’s hips, fingers curled tightly in the exact same spot Hannah had put her hand moments before.

Harry moaned against his mouth, fitting his palms around Louis’ waist, sliding them down to cup his ass and pulling him closer so that Louis was forced onto his tiptoes.

“Fuck, Lou,” Harry groaned.

Louis pulled at Harry’s lower lip with his teeth, rubbing at his cock with the heel of his palm.

“You’re a bloody tease, Harry,” Louis breathed against his lips.

“You’re the one who set the wolves on me,” Harry protested. “Trying to get me to cheat on you.”

Louis huffed, struggling to pull Harry’s tight jeans down his thighs. “Just proves you’re a tease: being all charming and not putting out.”

“I’m putting out for you,” Harry pouted. Louis failed to bite back his giggle even with his hand on Harry’s cock.

“Your friend actually asked me if I was a grower.” Harry chuckled breathlessly, slumping back against the wall as Louis knelt down in front of him. “Care to comment?”

Louis thumped his forehead against Harry’s thigh. “Oh my god,” he wheezed.

Harry’s laughter was cut short as Louis gripped the base of his cock and dragged his tongue up the shaft, letting the head rest on his tongue for a moment before fitting his lips around it.

He hummed thoughtfully before asking, “Is she blind? You’ve got his monstrous bulge- it’s a dead give-away.”

“Thanks?” Harry groaned, threading his fingers in Louis’ hair, encouraging him to continue.

Louis sucked Harry back into his mouth, his thumb digging into the crease of his groin. He twisted his hand around the base of his cock as he worked his tongue on the underside of the shaft.  

Harry bit down on his hand, trying to keep himself quiet.

Louis pulled off with a gasp. He looked up at Harry, letting the tip of his cock wet his lips. His grip was tight moving up and down the shaft while he licked beneath Harry’s cock.

“Please,” Harry moaned.

Louis sucked at the head then moved down until he choked and pulled back. Harry petted his hair, breathing hard, as Louis quickened the movement of his hand and drew him back into his mouth.

Harry came a few seconds later, and banged his head against the wall at the sight of Louis’ throat working to swallow him down.

“That was perfect, Lou,” Harry breathed, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head. “So good.”

“Yeah?” A corner of Louis’ mouth curled upwards.

“Yeah. So good,” Harry repeated.

Louis ducked his head and tucked him back in his pants.

“You seem surprised,” Harry said out loud as the thought crossed his mind.

Louis shrugged uncomfortably. “Mason said I was shit at it.”

Harry folded himself down to kneel in front of Louis. He cupped his face in his hands, wiping the wetness from his chin and licking into his mouth before crowding him to sit back against the railing with his legs spread so that Harry could settle between them.

“What a dickhead,” Harry muttered, biting at his jaw and sucking on Louis’ neck. “Why were you even with him?”

Louis went stiff. “Shut up.”

Harry pulled away to look him in the eye. “Are you still in love with him? After how he dumped you?” The thought made his heart pound in his chest.

Louis scowled. “I’m not. I just- I spent so long trying to be perfect for him, and for Simon at work, and- You don’t get to tell me it was all for nothing.” He hoisted himself up and stepped over Harry, tugging his shirt down angrily. He tried to adjust himself in his trousers and stalked back inside without another word.

Harry could have kicked himself.

**  
  
“Something happened,” Nick said the moment they sat down, each in one corner of the couch. “Spill.”

Louis had been avoiding him for days, and Harry had never regretted his big mouth any more than he did after the whole debacle on the balcony.

“Louis won’t talk to me,” Harry said at last, because they were supposed to cooperate, weren’t they?

Neither of them answered when Nick asked them to explain, however. The glare Louis sent his way kept Harry silent.

“C’mon, now, boys,” Nick tried to wheedle it out of them. “Communication is key.”

Louis shrugged, bouncing his leg and not looking at Harry. “I’ve got nothing to say to him.”

Nick let them go after a quarter of an hour. He shook his head and gave Harry an especially disappointed look.

**

It turned out Louis could make himself understood very well without talking.  He snuck pepper into Harry’s post-run smoothie one morning, and another time, replaced a bunch of his candles with the sort that couldn’t be blown out.

Harry got the message. He didn’t need to be woken up on his rest day from running by a series of blaring alarm clocks. The moment he found the first- hidden in a kitchen drawer- another went off- and half an hour later he was sitting on the couch with a row of pound shop alarm clocks before him.

But when Louis caught Harry sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands and his laptop open on the table in front of him, he came up behind him and nudged Harry’s elbow with his hip.

“What’s going on with you?”

Harry shook his head, face still buried in his hands.

Louis sighed and petted Harry’s hair before leaning down to read the open tab. Harry had been browsing the university website. He’d been thinking about signing up again for some time.

“What are you even afraid of?” Louis asked, sounding exasperated.

Harry blew air out through his nose. “Screwing up again.”

“There’s nothing wrong with trying again. You didn’t screw up. You tried-”

“-and failed,” Harry mumbled, head down.

Louis rubbed the back of Harry’s neck. “And that happens sometimes. So you try again. If something means anything to you, you fight for it. It doesn’t mean you keep going at something, running yourself into a brick wall; it means you come back with a hammer, or find a way around it or something, you know?”

Harry nudged his head against Louis’ chest, turning to wrap his arms around his waist. He could hear Louis’ heartbeat and feel the soft warmth of his belly against his cheek.

“Thanks, Lou.” Harry whispered.

Louis just cleared his throat and mumbled something inarticulate. He didn’t push Harry away, but when Harry let him go, he gave him a soft pat and ran out of the flat to ‘check the mail.’

**

Louis’ words stuck in Harry’s head enough to give him the push he needed to go check out the campus again.

He walked around feeling surprisingly light and hopeful. He saw students in small groups and bent under heavy bags and he wanted that- not to take up where he’d left off, but to start again, with new perspective and new motivation.

He was about to head back home when he saw him. Harry wasn’t sure if it was Mason at first; he’d only seen pictures of the guy, and most of them were from a couple of years back. Louis hadn’t even shown Harry those pictures; he found them because he’d been creeping through Louis’ old Facebook account.

“Mason,” he called out. Then realized he had no idea what he wanted to say to the guy. Mainly he wanted to punch him for treating Louis like shit, but another part of him wanted to try to understand what it was about this guy that had made Louis agree to marry him.

“Do I know you?” Mason asked. After looking Harry over, his face relaxed into a winning smile. “I think I’d remember you.”

Harry didn’t smile. “I’m... a friend of Louis’.”

Mason raised his eyebrows. “Oh? How is Louis?”

He smirked and said, “He’s probably put on weight, right?”

When he saw Harry’s non-plussed look, he added,  “From all the emotional eating due to the breakup. I always had to keep him in line- a good ass can turn into a fat ass quickly.”

Harry was disgusted. “I can’t believe Louis thought he wasn’t good enough for you.”

“He said that?” Mason marvelled.

Harry thought he deserved to have his mouth sewed shut because every time he opened his mouth he fucked up.

“He’s way past that,” Harry went on firmly. “He’s really come into his own.”

Mason looked vaguely interested; and somewhat skeptical.

“Yeah,” Harry said. “He’s doing really well.”

He left with his hands fisted deep in the pockets of his jeans. It drove him crazy to think that someone as special as Louis could have been shackled to such a disgusting excuse for a man.

**

He felt even worse about blabbing to Mason when he saw Louis afterwards.

“What’s this for?” Louis asked suspiciously when he got home to see that Harry made tacos for dinner. Harry had remembered Louis going on about his favorite toppings for pizza and his constant craving for tacos at some point during their night in Vegas.

“Celebrating your promotion.” Harry did dramatic jazz hands, showering them both with sauce, as he forgot he still had the spoon clutched in his hand.

Louis wiped sauce off his cheek and licked it off his finger. “Best not to get ahead of ourselves, young Harold.”

Harry stared for a moment before turning to the cupboard to fetch some cups. He willed himself to stop thinking about Louis’ tongue and how his lips had wrapped so perfectly around his cock.

“It’s a matter of time, you’ll see,” Harry said.

Louis shook his head, a wan smile on his face. “Maybe.”

Harry didn’t press. He let himself put his hand on the back of Louis’ neck and give it a bit of a squeeze. Louis glanced at him curiously, but didn’t shrug him off; for the first time in too long, they managed to have an agreeable dinner together.

**

Louis: _I work for the devil._

Zayn: _?_

Louis: _2 words: weeknd. retreat._

Zayn: _ahaaha_

Louis: _your a shit friend, z_

Zayn: _corporate life bro_

Louis: _that’s not teh worst part_

Zayn: _?_

Louis: _obligatry bring ur spouse_

Zayn’s box had the little typing bubbles up for so long Louis checked to see if his phone had frozen.

A ‘laughing so hard it’s crying’ emoji was what came through.

Louis sent him the middle finger emoji in response and buried his phone in his pocket, stumbling out of the train as he reached his stop.

A weekend retreat with all of his coworkers and Simon was horrific enough, but the fact that he had to ask Harry to go with him was Taylor’s fault. As he went up the stairs to the flat, Louis fantasized about spilling his coffee all over her white blouse the next time he saw her.

Louis didn’t even know how she’d found out about his ‘marriage.’ She had a gift for finding out about stuff that was none of her business and then blabbing about it.

He was startled when he heard voices coming from inside the flat. Harry had said he was going to be out that afternoon- he’d finally confessed during their last session with Nick that he had signed up for uni again and, as he would be starting in September, he had some paperwork to sort out.

Louis opened the door cautiously, his briefcase ready to be brandished as a weapon if necessary.

A middle-aged woman sat at the kitchen table, drinking tea with Liam.

“Oh, here’s Louis,” Liam waved at him, smiling.

Liam was ridiculously nice and, despite him being Harry’s lawyer and partly responsible for this whole situation, Louis couldn’t help but like him.

Louis waved back automatically.

“So nice to finally meet you, Louis. I’m Anne,” She hugged him, and Louis hugged her back after realizing that with those eyes and that smile, this had to be Harry’s mum.

“Nice to meet you, Anne,” Louis said weakly.

“Anne, I’m going to have to go. It was so nice to catch up with you,” Liam grabbed his jacket and gave Anne a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re leaving?” Louis asked, voice breaking.

“Got to, mate,” Liam replied apologetically. “Tell Harry I said hi.”

He gave Anne another kiss and enveloped Louis in a one-armed hug. “Be nice, yeah?” he whispered.

And there Louis was, alone with Harry’s mum. He didn’t even know how much Harry had told her about... anything.

“So Harry has this weird thing about candles...” Louis said. “How long has that been going on?”

Anne was an angel, one with a mischievous streak that Louis could appreciate. Before long they had settled on the couch with tea, trading stories about Harry and talking about the charity she was involved with.  

“You understand why I couldn’t let him keep working at the bakery, don’t you?” she asked suddenly after a lull in their conversation.

Louis wasn’t sure what to answer. “Harry hasn’t really told me-” he faltered.

Anne gave him a long appraising look. Louis took a nervous sip of his tea.

“They were going to close the nursery he’d grown up in.” Anne explained. Her face softened. “You know Harry- twenty odd years and he still dropped by every week, with coffee and donuts for everyone there.”

Louis didn’t have any trouble believing that; Harry loved with everything in him.

“He tried so hard to stop the process,” Anne continued. “but he was just a student; he didn’t have the legal expertise- or the money, for that matter,- to counter it.”

“That must have been hard for him,” Louis said quietly.

“He was so depressed when he couldn’t save the nursery from being shut down that he quit his studies.” Anne sighed. “I don’t want him to do something that doesn’t make him happy, of course, but then he didn’t want to do anything because he was so afraid of failing again, and I-”

“Couldn’t have him hiding behind the apron forever.”

Anne nodded. She smiled at him and reached to give his hand a squeeze. “Exactly. I just don’t want my baby to live a life of fear. Life’s too short for that.”

“Yeah,” Louis breathed, feeling a little emotional himself.

“Maybe with you beside him he can be a little braver?” Anne said gently and a little teasingly.

Louis blushed, shaking his head. He’d never been more grateful than at that moment when Harry walked through the door.

“Mum,” Harry gaped at them.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Anne said.

Harry slung the bag off his shoulder and hurried over to give her a kiss and a hug. Louis stood to a side, feeling out of place and a bit like an imposter, with Anne thinking Harry was in love with him and that Louis was somehow a good influence on Harry.

When they broke apart, Anne grinned and waved her arm in Louis’ direction. “Say hello to your Lou, dear, while I fix you something to eat,” she told Harry.

Harry turned to Louis and approached him hesitantly. He twitched his eyebrows in what Louis guessed was a mixture of question and apology. Louis’ stomach flip-flopped as Harry bent to kiss him. It wasn’t more than a quick peck, but when he caught Anne’s wink, Louis felt his face heat up.

“Sorry,” Harry whispered, looking mortified.

“’s fine,” Louis bit his lip, thinking of the conversation he’d just had with Anne. He peered behind Harry and saw Anne was busy in the kitchen.

“It was brave that you tried,” he said quickly. “To save the nursery. And even if you couldn’t, you’ve nothing to be ashamed of, Harry.”

Harry looked at him, wide-eyed. The vulnerability in his face made Louis’ mouth dry.

Harry leaned over and pulled Louis into a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered into his neck.

Louis rubbed his back. “Just tell her about signing up for classes, yeah? Your mum just didn’t want you spending your life behind a counter when there’s so much more you can do.”

Harry nodded, still holding him close, rocking them a bit in the embrace, until Louis broke away, feeling shaky. “I need you to go with me to the company’s weekend retreat,” he said, fidgeting under Harry’s fixed gaze.

He started to add that it was essential for his promotion and that it hadn’t been his idea but Harry cut him off. “Of course, Louis. Whatever you need.”

**

Harry was late. Or he’d forgotten about it. Or something bad had happened. Or he’d changed his mind and decided to leave Louis in the lurch.

Louis had somehow managed to dodge any face-to-face encounter with Simon for hours but Taylor had stopped by to taunt him several times.

Louis took out his phone, hesitated, and then decided to text Niall.

Louis: _‘you know where H is?_ ’

Niall: ‘ _on his waaay. don’t panic_ ’

Louis didn’t have time to protest that he wasn’t panicking.

Niall: ‘ _you gona get that promo! love ya_ ’

Louis chuckled at his phone. Niall was something else. He typed out a quick ‘ _thanks, lad.xx_ ’

He looked up curiously when he heard a burst of laughter. Preoccupied with his phone, he hadn’t realized almost everyone had gathered in a semicircle around… Harry. Harry, in a fancy blue shirt with a red anchor pattern and tight black slacks.

“Simon says, everyone give me an ‘oh yeaaah.’” Harry called out, grinning.

Louis watched in a mixture of horror and delight as Mary from Accounting responded with a loud, positively obscene, ‘oh yeah’ He moved toward the group with some trepidation.

“Everyone give me a hand in the air. Let me see that jazz hand.” Harry raised his own hand and waved enthusiastically when he caught Louis’ eye.

“Gotcha all. I didn’t say Simon says.” Harry laughed and everyone laughed with him.

“Simon says he’s heard that joke too many times.” Simon walked out of the crowd, his face and tone serious. Louis saw Harry’s face fall.

“You’re done, Tomlinson,” Taylor singsonged in his ear.

Louis ‘accidentally’ stepped on her toes.

“Knock knock!” Harry blurted out, looking straight at Simon. Louis could tell Harry was nervous, too stiff and wide-eyed.

“Who’s there?” Some brave soul asked when Simon stayed silent.

“Ketchup.”

“Ketchup who?” Louis mouthed along with the voice.

“Ketchup with me and I’ll tell you,” Harry said in a rush and pretended to run off to general laughter.

When he walked back, Simon actually slung an arm around him, saying something Louis couldn’t hear.

He fidgeted with the hem of his jacket as he waited for Harry to walk over, Simon at his side.

“Hello,” Harry smiled wide at Louis.

Louis saw Simon’s raised eyebrow and managed to eek out a weak ‘Hey, baby,’ in response, giving his forearm a little pat.

Simon’s mouth stretched into a smile. “Quite the stand-up comedian you’ve got there, Tomlinson.”

“Yes. Quite,” Louis forced himself to laugh.

“Simon says we have to try the shrimp cocktail,” Harry grinned, settling his hand on Louis’ lower back.

Simon laughed loudly. “I did recommend it, didn’t I? Go on then. Don’t think I don’t know you’re trying to get away from me, but I’ll let it pass this time.”

They all laughed and Harry wrapped an arm around Louis’ waist and brought him closer as Simon walked off to talk to some other people.

“Breathe,” Harry whispered.

“They call him Satan. There’s a code and everything. ‘Simon and Cower.’” Louis peered at Harry and poked him in the chest. “You really are a whole new level of charmer.”

Harry chuckled.

“Yeah?” He leaned in closer, gaze dropping to Louis’ lips.

Louis panicked. “What about that shrimp, hm? Fancy stuff.”

**

The rest of the day was spent making small talk with everyone Louis had ever caught a glimpse of at work, while they gushed over Harry and congratulated him on his marriage. Harry walked around beaming with his arm around Louis like there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

By the time they had to get ready for the evening party, Louis was a tad overwhelmed. He felt like he'd stepped into a dream complete with his own Prince Charming.

He fled the room they were sharing the moment Harry stepped into the bathroom to change and made a beeline for the bar when he got to the reception hall.

The bartender refused to give him a shot but Louis pouted until he poured more rum into his cocktail. Drink in hand he turned around just in time to see Harry walk in wearing a fitted dark suit, all long legs and broad shoulders and a cascade of curls. Louis drank up and tapped the bar for another one.

“You clean up nice,” Louis said, trying not to sound as awestruck as he felt at the moment.

Harry ducked his head, grinning. “Thanks. I didn’t have a suit anymore, ‘cause I haven’t really needed one for some time. So I had to buy one. That’s why I was late. Sorry.”

“’s fine,” Louis could barely resist the urge to grab hold of the lapels of his jacket and bring him in for a kiss. “You were great today. Thank you for coming.”

Harry ordered a drink and leaned on the bar counter next to him. He looked at Louis thoughtfully while he waited for his cocktail. “You get nervous around these people?”

Louis shrugged. “I guess. I just feel like I’m putting on a show, like we’re all just showing off our feathers-”

“Like peacocks?”

Louis chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah. Except we’re competing to see who the biggest dick is.”

Harry frowned, pouting slightly. “That doesn’t sound very nice.”

“It’s not,” Louis sighed.

Harry touched his fingers to Louis’ naked wrist briefly. “If you want it, though, you’re going to get it.”

“Hm. If I had a good party trick I could impress Simon...” Louis made a face. “But all I can do is-”

“Cry when you lose that promotion to me?” Taylor cut in, voice as sweet as ever. She smiled at Harry and Louis was gratified to see he didn’t return the smile.

“That’s not much of a party trick,” Harry said very seriously.

Louis laughed at Taylor’s bewildered face. Then he saw Simon coming towards them.

“I’m sure I can keep a straight face when I tell Simon you made up the rumor that he got pec implants,” he said.

“You can’t prove that!” Taylor protested.

“Simon says-” Harry began.

“That my chiselled physique is not artificial,” Simon finished.

They all laughed, including Taylor, until Simon glared at her. She turned very red and walked away.

“You made an excellent choice marrying this charming fellow,” Simon told Louis, grabbing Harry’s shoulder and giving it a little shake. “It shows good judgment.”

“I took a calculated risk,” Louis joked.

Simon’s grin was razor sharp. “As I am giving you this promotion. Don’t let me down.”

Louis gaped. Simon clapped him on the back and left before Louis had finished stammering his thanks.

“You happy, Lou?” Harry brushed the back of his hand against Louis’ arm.

“I think so.”

Harry gave him a gentle smile and Louis’ mouth curved automatically in response. Then Harry got called on stage to receive an award that Louis didn’t even know existed.

Harry looked baffled. “I didn’t realize I was running for any competition?”

“Well, you won. So get up there,” Louis pushed him towards the stage.

Harry tripped up the stairs and hugged Jade as she presented him with the award. As he held the award, he simply stared at it and shrugged before saying, “Uh, thanks?”

Everyone laughed. The way Harry could charm people had to be criminal.

“I had a really good time today. It was so nice to get to meet you all. Even Jade though she didn’t want to give up the award. You might not have noticed, but she was holding onto it.” Harry mimed pulling the award out of Jade’s clutch to general laughter.

“But, honestly… The best thing about today was getting to support my spouse, Louis Tomlinson- who just got promoted, so everyone give him a round of applause, please.”

Louis raised his glass awkwardly as everyone applauded.

“My spouse,” Harry mused. “Some people today have asked me how Louis and I met...”

Louis could feel people staring at him but he couldn’t look away from Harry, who kept staring right at him. Louis had no idea where Harry was going with his little speech and it was making his heart race.

“Our wedding was a bit... unconventional. And we never got to have our first dance as a married couple.”

A chorus of ‘aww’s followed and the band started playing a slow, romantic song.

Jade took the microphone from Harry as walked off stage. “For the first time, introducing Harry and Louis Tomlinson-Styles!”

Louis stood paralyzed until somebody gave him a small shove. He felt himself moving forward as the crowd cleared a space for them in the middle.

Harry stepped in front of him. He ducked his head and grinned at him, pink-cheeked.

“Want to dance?”

Louis took the hand he extended. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

Harry’s hand was a little sweaty and he trod on Louis’ toes when they first started to move but Louis hardly felt it with the way Harry was looking down at him, his eyes shining as he struggled to contain a smile.

“Tomlinson-Styles?” Louis couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

Harry’s hand on his waist tightened. “I love the way it sounds.”

Louis felt giddy. He wasn’t aware of what his feet were doing and when he tried to give Harry a twirl it was a less than perfect one; but it made Harry giggle.

“Do you know what that means?” Harry asked. It took Louis a moment to figure out what he was talking about: the room had started clinking their glasses.

“They want us to kiss.”

Louis wanted them to kiss, too. “Got to keep the masses happy, don’t we?”

“Get ready,” Harry whispered.

Louis clutched at Harry’s back as he was thrown momentarily off balance when Harry dipped him carefully. His heart pounding, Louis kissed him. The crowd broke into applause.

“A bit of warning would have been nice,” Louis said when he regained his footing.

Harry leant down to kiss him again, and again, quickly, as though he couldn’t help himself. “I said get ready.”

“I wasn’t,” Louis pulled him back in for another kiss.

And he meant it. He wasn’t ready for the way that after the dance they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

Louis was supposed to mingle. He’d just gotten a promotion and Harry had somehow won an award for most personable. But every time somebody came near them Louis wanted to scream. He felt too hot in his dress shirt and he was aching to touch Harry, who would not stop staring at him, lips too pink from biting at them.

He lost count of the people who came to congratulate him. After almost an hour he didn’t even know what was coming out of his mouth. Harry had put his arm around him and kept tickling his neck over the edge of his shirt collar with the tip of his fingers.

Louis lunged at a passing waiter, nearly toppling the glasses of champagne off the tray as he secured two. Harry took his and threw back his head to drink it.

When he licked his lips, Louis’ breath caught in his throat.

Harry turned to him at the sound. His brow furrowed, he breathed in deeply through his nose.

“Harry-” Louis was cut short as Harry cupped his jaw and kissed him, groaning into his mouth.

“Let’s get out of here, fuck’s sake,” Louis said when they broke apart.

“Yes, please,” Harry ran a hand through his hair, looking manic, which explained the look a few people gave them as they sprinted out of the room.

**

Louis’ head spun as they kissed against the closed door of their room. Safely inside, Harry couldn’t stop talking.

“Louis. Fuck, Lou, want you,” Harry mumbled, his voice deeper than usual. He fumbled at the buttons on Louis’ collar and attached his mouth to the hollow at the base of Louis’ throat as soon as he wrenched the shirt open.

Louis dropped the room key to the floor and tugged Harry’s shirt out of his trousers. He rubbed his palms up the heat of Harry’s abdomen and thumbed at his nipples.

He unbuttoned Harry’s trousers and slipped his hand under his boxers to work his cock, walking them backwards until the back of Harry’s knees hit the bed.

Harry pulled Louis with him as he fell back onto the mattress, giggling at Louis’ squawk.  He slotted a leg between Louis’, making him moan at the friction.

“Can we...” Harry’s hand smoothed over the dip of Louis’ waist and over to his hip before spreading his fingers over the swell of Louis’ ass. “Do you want to?”

Louis pressed closer, rocking his hips against Harry’s, fingers tight on the back of his neck. “I didn’t bring anything.”

Harry raised a finger and scrambled off the bed. “Take your clothes off.” He took a step, then turned back around and gave Louis a quick kiss, a little too hard so that their teeth clacked.

“Sorry,” Harry winced.

Louis just laughed and pushed Harry back. As Louis undressed, he could hear Harry wrestling out of his own clothes in the bathroom.

“Oi, get over here and let me see you strip,” Louis called.

Harry cackled.

He walked out of the bathroom naked and clutching a small bottle of lube. He threw himself at Louis, pushing him onto his back and settling between Louis’ legs on his knees.

“D’you carry lube with you everywhere you go?” Louis asked.

“Yes,” Harry replied solemnly.

Louis laughed. “Good call.” His voice broke into a moan when Harry wrapped a slick hand around his cock, pumping slowly, letting his thumb drag over the head. He leaned over Louis to jerk them off together, their cocks sliding against each other.

“Ah, bad idea,” Harry’s voice shook as he straightened and sat back.

Louis’ chuckle was breathless. “C’mon then,” he urged.

“Yeah,” Harry wet his lips and brushed his hair out of his face before tracing the rim of Louis’ hole with a slick finger. He kept his other hand splayed on Louis’ hip while he teased the tip of his finger in and out.

Louis smoothed a hand over his belly, breathing shakily as Harry opened him up. He let his hand settle over Harry’s on his hip.

Harry tangled their fingers together when he pushed in a second one. “Good?”

Louis spread his legs a little wider, feeling every centimeter of Harry’s long, bony fingers inside of him. “Mhm.”

Harry pushed in a third finger, moaning under his breath, eyes darting between Louis’ face and his hole being stretched out.

“Lou,” Harry squeezed Louis’ hand and brought it to his mouth, sucking a reverent kiss to his palm.

“Fuck, Harry, get on with it,” Louis whimpered.

Harry groped for the lube and slicked up his cock, squeezing tight at the base for a moment, head ducked, breathing hard through parted lips.

Louis shuddered, face scrunching up, when Harry pushed the head of his cock inside him.

Harry stilled. “Lou?”

Louis flapped his hand at Harry, biting his lip. “Keep going.”

Harry rocked his hips and pushed in slowly, giving Louis time to get used to the stretch.

“Alright, Lou?” Harry asked, once he bottomed out, holding himself over Louis. His hair fell around his face like a curtain and Louis pushed it back behind his ears.

“Yeah, ‘s good,” he breathed.

Harry picked up the pace then, his arm muscles straining from holding himself up.

Louis stroked up Harry’s sides, feeling how warm his skin was.

“’s good,” Louis repeated.

Harry kissed his chin and hoisted Louis’ legs higher around his waist, driving into him faster, making Louis’ breath stutter and his hands slip down Harry’s arms.  
Louis hid his face in the crook of his elbow, moaning low in his throat as he wrapped his other hand around his cock.

“Lou. Let me see you, please,” Harry whined, breathing hard.

Louis peeked at Harry over his arm then spread his palm on Harry’s chest before clutching at the back of his neck.

“You’re so beautiful,” Harry groaned when Louis came. Louis caught a glimpse of Harry biting his lip, staring at him, before his eyes fluttered shut.

He felt himself clenching around Harry who fucked into him in broken rhythm until he came.

His hand dropped and he lay boneless, chest still heaving, completely blissed out.

Harry mumbled something that Louis couldn’t figure out against his lips. They kissed lazily, a little sloppily, for a moment, before Harry pulled out and flopped on the bed next to him.

When Louis felt he could move again he demanded Harry fetch him a flannel. Harry pretended to grumble, but he nipped at Louis’ shoulder before sprinting to the bathroom. When he cleaned Louis up, Harry kissed the inside of Louis’ thighs and Louis thought he might just be in love.

“You were amazing today. I don’t know what I would have done without you,” Louis confessed to the top of Harry’s head.

“You’d have been fine. You’re amazing. You can do anything, Louis.”

“You’re just saying that because we just fucked,” Louis poked at the place where Harry’s dimple hid. “Post-orgasmic delusion.”

“No. I mean it,” Harry looked up at him, leaning on his elbow. “I think you could do anything you wanted.”

“What if I don’t know what I want to do?” Louis ducked his head.

“It would be easier if you stopped trying to make yourself into what other people think you should be,” Harry said, giving Louis’ hip a little squeeze. “And just let yourself... be.”

“Are you always so philosophical after sex? Is this the type of pillow-talk I can expect or is this a one time thing?” Louis twisted Harry’s nipple, grinning.

“I’m serious,” Harry replied, holding his hand to stop him, stroking the back of his hand with his thumb. “You’ll figure it out.”

He raised Louis’ hand to his lips and brushed them against his knuckles. “When was the last time you were really happy?”

Louis didn’t have to think too hard. It was maybe two or three years ago, but the contrast with what his life had become since was so pronounced it seemed like a lifetime.

“There’s this football field in Donny. It’s supposed to be closed at night, but they leave the lights on, and we – me and my best mate Stan – used to sneak in and just kick the ball around. It was the best,” Louis sighed.

Harry kissed the palm of his hand and smiled at him.

“Get back here,” Louis murmured. Harry lay back down, wrapping his arm around Louis’ middle and resting his head on his chest.

“You deserve to be happy,” Harry said softly, rubbing his belly and pressing a small kiss to his chest.

“Thanks, Harry,” Louis whispered, carding his fingers through his hair.  
  
**

Louis was kind of dreading their last session with Grimmy. He had the uncanny ability to tell when something had happened between them and Louis felt like he was walking into the room with a ‘me and Harry fucked’ sign on his forehead. The way Harry kept knocking their knees together and struggling to contain his smiling was not helping.

“So?” Nick wagged his eyebrows. “How are things?”

“Good,” Harry answered immediately. “So good.”

Louis facepalmed. “Really good,” he mumbled into his hand.

Nick chuckled. He interlaced his fingers as he leaned back in his chair, examining them with a smug, satisfied expression. “This is the moment when I wish I worked with unmarried couples so I could demand to be invited to the wedding.”

**

“So. You and Harry,” Liam said.

“Is this the ‘if you mess with him I’ll beat you up’ speech?” Louis rammed a leftover party hat onto Liam’s head, taking advantage of his position sitting cross-legged on the picnic table while Liam sat on the bench.

“Am I supposed to give that speech?” Liam asked, bemused. “I thought Gemma would take care of it.”

“I’d rather get it from you,” Louis put in quickly. “I’ve heard things about Gemma.”

Liam laughed, slapping his knee. “I’m not even going to bother, mate. I saw your face when Harry was playing with the twins.”

It was true. Seeing Harry playing with his little sisters and tiny Ernest, pushing them on the swing and sat in the sandbox with his hair in a haphazard bun, T-shirt splattered with ketchup and frosting on his face... Then going out of his way to help his mum strap the kids in and load the car after... Louis had fallen for Harry. Hard.

And he should have known that having Harry meet his family was bound to tip him right over the edge- yet when his mum insisted he invite Harry to Fizzy’s birthday party at the park, Louis had given in after putting up only a token resistance.

Louis flipped Liam off only because he couldn’t reach to hit him in the balls. “Why don’t you worry about Niall? I think Zayn might shove that can of paint in his mouth any moment now.”

Liam laughed. “You reckon?”

Louis nodded emphatically, watching Niall throw his arms around Zayn’s neck and cling to him like a monkey while Zayn tried to work on his graffiti. “Any moment now.”

He turned back to Liam and was surprised at the odd look on his face. “Louis,” he said, staring somewhere over his shoulder.

Louis turned around.

Mason grinned. “Surprise!” He clapped a hand on Louis’ thigh and gave it a squeeze. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”

Louis brought his knees up to his chest. “No. What the hell?” His voice went high-pitched.

Mason shrugged. “I still have Fizzy on Facebook? I saw you’d be around and I thought I’d stop by and say hello.”

“The party ended a half hour ago,” was all Louis could think to say.

Mason didn’t bother replying to that. “I wanted to see you.”

Louis shook his head and glanced at Liam, who had stood up and was fidgeting with his party hat, clearly uncomfortable.

“Should I?” Liam made a gesture towards Zayn and Niall.

“No,” Louis grabbed his arm. “I’ve got nothing to say to you, Mason.”

“C’mon, Louis. Don’t be like that. I’ve been thinking. Maybe we called it quits too soon?” Mason went on.  

“You dumped me,” Louis said tightly.

Mason winced theatrically. “Yeah. But that friend of yours- the one with the curls, and those _legs_ \- he told me you’d been trying so hard to be good enough for me, baby. I thought I’d give you another chance.”

Louis felt sick. “Fuck off, Mason,” he choked out.

Mason opened his mouth, but Liam stepped forward. “Mate, just leave.”

“Fine. Don’t expect me to come calling again, Louis,” Mason said.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Louis shook his head in disbelief.

“Louis, are you alright?” Liam asked when Mason had turned around the corner.

Louis realized he was still gripping Liam’s arm and let go, hopping off the table and sweeping everything on the table into the plastic bag.

“Zayn!” he shouted.

Zayn’s head whipped around. Louis saw his brow crease, squinting at Louis. Louis gestured for him to come over and Zayn pushed the spray can at Niall and jogged over to Louis.

“Louis, mate,” Liam put a hand on his shoulder.

Louis shook him off and thrust the bag at Zayn. “C’mon, Zayn, we’re leaving.”

He hated to leave Liam looking like an abandoned puppy, but he had to go before Harry came back from the bathroom. “I need to go. I’m sorry.”

“What happened?” Zayn asked once they were in the car. Louis shook his head. He couldn’t drive and talk about it at the same time.

It wasn’t until he was settled on the couch with a steaming mug of tea and his feet propped on Zayn’s lap that he felt he could talk about what had happened without crying.

“I saw Mason.”

Zayn hummed. “I thought you were over him, babe?”

“I am,” Louis shook his head. “It’s not that.”

Zayn gave his ankle a squeeze but didn’t press.

“Remember that party we had at our flat?” Louis grimaced when he realized he’d said ‘our flat’ when it was Harry’s flat. He stared down at the cup of tea in his hands. “I told Harry that I’d been... that all the time I’d been with Mason I’d been... trying to be perfect for him.”

He had to force himself to look at Zayn.

“And- I don’t even know how they met- but Harry told him. He told Mason what I’d said.”

Zayn gave a low whistle.

“Yeah,” Louis gave a bark of bitter laughter.

“Why though?”

“I don’t know!” Louis couldn’t stop his voice from shaking. “I didn’t even mean to tell Harry, but the last person I ever wanted to find out about that was Mason.”

Zayn reached over to take the cup from him and set it on the coffee table. “C’mere,” he said.

Louis hurried to his side. Zayn wrapped his arms around him and kissed his temple. “’s OK, babe. You told him to fuck off, right?”

Louis nodded.

“I’m going to pay him a visit,” Zayn mused. “Should’ve done it before. I had it planned and all- just didn’t get around to it.”

Louis chuckled weakly. “Don’t be an idiot. He’s like three times your size.”

Zayn shook his head. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. You ring the doorbell, crouch in front of the door, and when he opens it, bam, punch in the dick. When he’s writhing on the floor, crying out ‘why,’ I’ll say ‘you know why.’”

“And maybe kick him,” he added.

Louis hugged Zayn’s middle tighter. “Thanks.”

Then he pulled back to cup Zayn’s face between his palms. “But don’t do that.”

Zayn just hummed. “Maybe you should ask Harry what happened, though?”

Louis buried his face against Zayn’s shoulder. “I don’t want to talk to him right now.”

**

Louis felt lost. He spent Sunday in some ratty PJs curled up on the couch eating cereal.

He’d turned off his phone and thrown it in a drawer. Zayn had tried to bring up Harry twice but Louis had cut him off.

They had their court appointment on Tuesday and by the time he had finished the box of cereal, he had come to the decision that Harry could keep the money.  
Louis had no idea what to do with millions. He’d taken enough to pay off what was left of his mother’s mortgage and set some aside for his siblings’ education but Harry could keep the rest.

In spite of his dick move with Mason, Louis was objective enough to realize that Harry could do good with the money: rescue that nursery of his and help out some families in the area.

Zayn thought he was crazy. He tried talking Louis out of it the night before and on the way to court, right up until they were waiting to be called into the courtroom.

Harry was late. He ran in with tangled hair and his shirt inside out. He looked beautiful.

“Sorry. I’m so sorry,” he panted, looking at Louis instead of at the judge.

Louis looked away.

When Nick Grimshaw took the stand, Louis wasn’t sure what to expect. He guessed after their last session they could be considered a success story but he wasn’t prepared to hear him put it quite the way he did.

“They’re perfect for each other. It’s actually true love,” Grimmy shrugged. “Go figure.”

Louis kept looking straight ahead. It had seemed like it might be that. _True love_. Until he discovered Harry had been playing dirty while Louis didn’t even know they were playing.

“I just want a divorce,” Louis insisted.

The judge fixed Louis with an intense stare. “Very well,” he sighed. “As the parties have come to an agreement about the assets in dispute, I grant your petition for divorce.”

Louis bolted. He left the file with the paperwork on the table, along with his jacket and his wedding ring. He knew Zayn would pick up after him.

“Louis! Wait, please.”

Louis ran out of the courtroom and down the hall. When he turned the corner Niall launched himself at Louis.

“For god’s sake, Niall!” Louis disentangled himself from Niall with some difficulty.

Niall threw an arm around his shoulder and marched him out of the courthouse through a side exit.

“You didn’t say goodbye,” Niall said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Louis tugged his shirt into place then sighed. “I know. I’m sorry,” He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t sure… you were Harry’s friend first?”

“But you’re my friend now, too!” Niall said indignantly.

“Joint custody of the kids with the divorce then?” Louis raised his fist for Niall to bump but Niall just took his hand and pulled him into a hug.

“We’re still going to play mini-golf,” he said through a mouthful of Louis’ hair.

Louis patted Niall’s back. “Sure, lad, sure.”

Niall beamed at him. “I mean it, you little shit.”  
   
**  
  
Louis hid out in Zayn’s flat and called in sick to work the next day. He had Zayn go over to Harry’s to fetch some of his clothes and he came back balancing a stack of pies and clutching a paper bag full of scones.

“Did you raid a bakery?” Louis asked him.

Zayn set everything down on the counter before reaching into the bag and biting into a scone. “Harry’s having a breakdown, apparently.”

Louis lifted a corner of the aluminum foil covering one of the pies and inhaled deeply. “You shouldn’t have taken them.”

Zayn handed him a plate. “I didn’t really have a choice, bro.”

Louis raised his eyebrows but with his cheeks bulging with a mouthful of pie it only made Zayn roll his eyes. “They were all over the place. I felt bad.” He wiped Louis’ chin with a napkin.

“He’s really sorry.”

Louis made a non-committal sound and went to grab a glass.

“You two were really good together,” Zayn followed him to the cupboard, hovering at his back.

Louis shoveled more pie into his mouth and didn’t answer. He needed some time to think about what he wanted to do.

He missed Harry so much. His smell and his smile and his puns. But he was hurt and everything in his life seemed to have gotten muddled all of a sudden. He needed time- but he didn’t have time. The next morning was the first meeting in his new post at work and there was no way to get out of it.

He crept out of the house before dawn and took the train, feeling like he was going to his funeral. The ride up the lift to the meeting room was claustrophobic; it was made even worse with Taylor joining him on the second floor and taking the time to make jabs about his ‘Tarzan’ husband.

Louis sat through half the meeting before his anxiety peaked. What the hell was he doing? Louis didn’t know what he was going to do but he’d decided what he didn’t want.

He didn’t want the promotion. He didn’t even want the job. He didn’t want that life.

“I quit,” he blurted.

Simon turned his head toward him slowly. “You just got a promotion,” he said. “If you’re trying to be funny, Tomlinson, it’s falling flat.”

“I’m not. I’m serious,” Louis said, gaining confidence as he spoke. He pushed himself up from the chair. “I quit.”

“You quit?” Taylor snickered. “To do what?”

“I don’t know,” Louis admitted. He really had no idea. He still walked out the door, though. Right out the door and out of the building.

**

“I don’t know where he is, bro,” Zayn lifted his eyes from the napkin he was doodling on, chin propped on his other hand. “He left a note saying he was fine and not to worry, but that’s it.”

Harry’s forehead hit the table with a thump. He was losing his mind. Having Louis avoid him was one thing but to have him be missing altogether was another.

“He quit his job, though. Gave up all that money,” Liam repeated for the fifth time. “And he was so upset that day at the park too.”

“That’s not very helpful, Liam,” Harry mumbled, face squashed against the tabletop.

“Sorry,” Liam reached over to rub his back.

Harry straightened up with a sigh.

“You’ve got to do something!” Niall slapped a hand on the table. “It’s true love, H! True love!”

Everyone in the bar looked away from the football match on the television to stare at Niall. Zayn pulled Niall’s head to his shoulder and patted his cheek, shushing him.

“That shrink said so,” Niall finished miserably.

Harry played with the rings on his fingers in agitation. Zayn had given him the ring Louis left at the courthouse when he’d stopped by the flat, and found Harry elbow deep in cake mix with pastries on every available surface.

“I’m trying, Niall. I keep trying to think of where he could be but I don’t know.”

“You never talked about someplace special?” Zayn asked. “I don’t think he’s left for Hawaii, but…”

Harry stared into his drink as a group of patrons cheered at a goal. Then it hit him: Louis talking about playing football that night at the retreat.

Niall’s mouth fell open as he saw the look of realization on Harry’s face. “Go, go, go!” he shouted.

“What’s he on about?” a man at the bar asked, sounding confused. “We’re on halftime.”

“Take my car!” Niall threw his keys at Harry who caught them as he jumped off his stool.

“Drive safely!” Liam called after him.

“Good luck!” Harry heard Zayn yell just as he hurried out the door.

**

He didn’t know what he’d do if Louis wasn’t there. He’d have to get in touch with Zayn at some point, wouldn’t he? But what if he decided he never wanted to see Harry again?

The thought made him sick to his stomach.

He parked and ran up to the fence. He could see a small figure in the middle of the field, kicking a ball around idly, throwing long shadows in the dusk.

His heart in his throat, Harry walked in. “Louis!” he called.

Louis turned around. He didn’t move toward Harry but at least he wasn’t running away from him again.

“What are you doing here, Harry?” Louis asked softly when Harry stood in front of him.

Harry drank him in, noting the slight flush of his cheeks from the exercise, the fan of his eyelashes casting shadows on his cheeks and the blue of his eyes when the light hit them.

“I wanted to say sorry.”

Louis ducked his head, running his hand through his hair.

“Zayn told me. I accept your apology and I forgive you,” He shook his head. “You didn’t have to come all the way here just for that.”

Harry tried to take a deep breath. “I also wanted to tell you that I love you.” His voice came out rushed and too quiet.

“What?” Louis asked, stepping closer to Harry.

“I said I love you. I love you so much, Lou,” Harry went wide-eyed, tripping over the words. “I love you and I want to be with you always.”

He took the ring off his finger and held it out, going down on one knee in the muddy grass. “Will you please marry me? Marry me again, I mean?”

Louis extended his hand hesitantly. “Are you sure? You remember how hard it was to get a divorce, right?”

Harry fit the ring on his finger. “Having to be married to you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Even better than winning three million dollars?” Louis teased, raising his eyebrows.

“Yeah.” Harry said.

Louis tugged at him to stand up and smiled wide at Harry, tangling their fingers together. “Honestly? I’ve never been happier than when we were married.”

Harry pulled him in for a hug, ignoring Louis’ protest that he was ‘all sweaty,’ and folded himself to bury his face in the crook of Louis’ shoulder.

“I love you so much,” Louis said. "so much."

Harry’s smile was squished against Louis’ ear and neck.

They stood locked in a tight embrace, swaying a little.

“Want to make out under the bleachers?” Louis asked, without letting go.

Harry laughed. “Yes, I do,” he replied.

Louis smiled at him and leaned up to give him a lingering kiss. “Let’s do it.” He raised his eyebrows at Harry and pulled him by the wrist. “Let’s go!” Louis shouted.

They ran across the field holding hands and giggling.

In the future, whenever Harry told people that he hit the jackpot... he never meant the money.  
  
  
   


End file.
